Tales of the Northwesten Railways Of Sodor
by Dr. Gairyuki
Summary: The train, for its age, is the most powerful land transport vehicle on the planet. And the engines of Island of Sodor, home of the famous North Western Railway that the Railway Series and Thomas the Tank Engine are based on, are the powers behind the North Western Railway. This is the Tales of the Northwesten Railways Of Sodor.
1. Tale Of The Mainland Diesel

The Island of Sodor, located and situated between just off of Barrow-In-Furness in Cumbria on the England mainland of Great Britain in the east that is connected with a bridge and the Isle of Man in the west, is the home of the famous North Western Railway, one of the most famous, if not _the _most famous heritage railway in the world, with nobody that knew the railway better than both the hard-working steam locomotive engines and the few diesel locomotive engines that worked and run on the railway whose hearts and hard works have made them popular with everyone as they worked day and night, thanks to a rather certain famous book series and even more famous television series. While there were multitudes of steam engines and a couple of outdated diesel engine models that were working and running on the North Western Railway, there were seven in particular that were the most famous and popular of the North Western Railway engines in the world; Thomas, a very cheeky with at times a self-important that made him deserved an whack to the head yet happy-go-lucky blue 0-6-0T (Six-wheelers) tank engine of the LB&SCR E2 Class engines and only surviving member of his class with the No. 1 on his side tank that is easily the most famous railway locomotive in the world who runned and worked on his own branchline that was his most favorite, the iconic Ffarquhar branchline. Edward, a kind and easygoing blue 4-4-0 (eight-wheeler) tender engine of a modified Furness Railway Class 21 "Larger Seagull" with No. 2 on the sides of his tender who is always keen to help out a friend in need and easily the oldest engine on the Island of Sodor that is still working and running to this day since he came to the railway in the year 1896. Henry, a green 4-6-0 (Ten-wheeler) tender engine that have a close and similar specific resemblance to a LMS Class 5MT "Black Five" due to him being originally a failed prototype steam that was the hybrid of both the LNER Class C1 Atlantic and one of the experimental prototype designs of the LNER Gresley Classes A1s and A3s that were based on the blueprint that were stolen from Sir Nigel Gresley himself when he was designing the Classes A1s and A3s during the planning stage of their building process before he was rebuilt into his current shape with No. 3 on the sides of his tender who is hard-worker at heart yet can be vain and arrogant at times through he does not antagonize his fellow engines. Gordon, a proud blue 4-6-2 (Pacific) tender engine who is the only LNER Gresley Class A0 that was the predecessor and prototype to the LNER Gresley Classes A1s and A3s in existance with No. 4 on the sides of his tender and that make him the relative to the Flying Scotman, the only engine whose fame that can be equal to Thomas himself, and Mallard, the current fastest steam engine in the world and the current holder of the fastest steam engine record at about 126.4 mph (203.42 km/h), all of which made him very arrogance about it at times yet he is a strong and useful hard-worker who will perform his work duties to the absolute best of his ability thanks to his own strength and speed. James, a red 2-6-0 (Mogul) tender engine of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Class 28 with No. 5 on the sides of his tender who have a shallow, boastful, and, more often than not, short-temper shorter than the very fuse from a steorotypical dynamite that he share his color with with a small sense of vain and arrogance, which made his attitudes annoyed the other engines excluding a few but despite this, he does have a big heart... somewhere in his smokebox. Ivon, a green (hence his name) heavily modified industrial 0-6-0 (Six-wheelers) tender engine with No. 6 on the sides of his cab either, of a unspeficied and unknown 0-6-0ST+T tender engine class or doesn't belong to any specified known class of 0-6-0ST+T tender engines, that was built around in c. 1900 (Since the detail of his past are quite murky and hazy at best due to a certain part of his personality that I will mention later on and the lack of information where he was build) who actually doesn't have a face like the rest of the other engines on Sodor but he can communicate and speak to them through a megaphone on top of his cab and he has a bad short-term memory that make him bad at remembering certain things and is rather ditzy and scatterbrain which make him also forgetful and absentminded, much to the annoyance of both his friends and colleagues, the other engines, and even his own crew since it made him very extremely accident-prone yet he has good intention despite his personality traits often getting the better of him. And last but not least Tody, a very old and equally wise brown tram steam engine with the No. 7 on his side build around somewhere between 1900s to early-to-mid 1910s who like Edward is one of the kinder and mild-mannered but still hard-working engines that came to the North Western Railway in the 1950s with his coach Henrietta when his old line have closed down yet despite being a old engine, he is still very useful engine thanks to his own wisedom and experience. They were good hard-working engine, all of them are, striving to be really useful engines, not always succeeding but are proud of their work.

* * *

One day, Thomas arrived at Elsbridge Station with Annie and Clarabel in the late morning where James was waiting with his seven behind his tender at the platform for the passengers that the E2 tank engine was bringing before the blue tank engine blew his whistle when he've stopped at the platform and spoke to him when he had arrive to the station.

"Peep peep! Good morning, James! How are you doing?" Asked Thomas with a smile.

"Oh, you know. Just waiting for you with my passengers that i'm taking and counting down the time to see if you're going to be late or not. You know. The dull usual old routine like normal on everyday." Answered James with an annoyed frown before he asked the blue tank engine. "So how are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you very much." Said Thomas. "Lovely morning we're having, aren't we?"

"Yes. Yes, we're having a splended morning indeed. Through not as splended or as lovely as my own fine red paintwork." Boasted James as he boast to the little old blue tank engine on the other side of the platform they were at. "After all, everyone _knows _that there is nothing more good-looking than my own splended red paintjob. As it is the _most _beautiful thing that anyone will ever see."

"Hehehe. Well, too bad that you're not bright as your paintjob sometimes yet you're just as red when you're angry too!" Teased Thomas when he have retorted to the red tender engine rather cheekily before he chuckle at this.

Before James could snapped and argued angrily with the cheeky blue E2 tank engine, they presently heard a diesel horn honking in the air that sound like it was about to come down the line soon, which made Thomas and James turned their eyes and attention toward in the direction they've heard it about to come through. A diesel, specifically a BR (British Rail) Class 70 (II), a newer class of diesel locomotive so not a outdated models that are on the island of Sodor like either Diesel or BoCo, came rolling down along the line through Elsbridge Station and pass by Thomas and James quietly with several trucks fulled of stone from the Ffarquhar Quarry behind him. He's not from around this region. No. He's a visitor from the mainlands, as he was leased and rented by Sir Stephen Topham Hatt, or Sir Topham Hatt the Third, or just Sir Topham Hatt for short, or nickname the Fat Controller given to him by both his workers and engines alike, from a company that specialized in freight called Freightliner to help assisting all the engines of Sodor with their workload by taking several good trains when their workload have been drastically but steady increase in the following decades because of the sudden revival and increase interest in rail transport in the following decades and at the turn of the century due to the combination of road congestion, rising fuel prices, and environmental concerns with governments investing of rail transports as a means of reducing CO2 emissions in the context of concerns about global warming and not only that but there was a big boom of rail freights traffic on the island of Sodor following the turns of the century due to those same aforemention reasons, which have only increase this mouth. It was already a week when he've arrived to the North Western Railways on the Island of Sodor. From what Thomas and James have heard about the BR Class 70 (II) himself that the diesel engines on the island said when they spoke to him, the BR Class 70 (II)'s name is Coass and, while technially not having a face like some of the engines and is like Ivon since he can communicate through a pair of speakers on the forehead of his cab, he's a likeable friendly and pleasent chap with a sociable and amicable yet modest good nature diesel who's rather chatty at times when giving the right opportunity and is not really impossible to like due to his companionable and outgoing yet respective and unassertive nature who is also humble enough not afraid to ask for help and is willing to help someone with something if they're having trouble once you get to know him. Both the blue Class tank engine and red Class 28 tender engine watched in silence as he pass through Elsbridge Station with the truck that he's taking while his engine just roared proudly with a low rumbling growl, a small more louder and noisily than the normal sounds of his class, along the rail line that he was before the two steam engines waiting at the platform resume speaking once he have passed through station down the track with the stone-filled trucks he's taking behind him with the blue tank engine speaking first. "So that's one of the newer diesels on the mainlands that I've heard about?" Remarked Thomas as he asked the red tender engine.

"Yes, he is from I have heard of what the diesels said." Answered James with an neutral and bland expression on his face. "Heard that from the other engine that the Fat Controller had assign him of helping and assisting us with taking some ammount of the workload that we're having recently." His expression then became a frown as he've thought of something that he notice when the BR Class 70 (II) passed through the station. "Through his engine sound odder than normal."

"What do you mean?"

"His engine sound a tad more louder and odder than usual the last time I heard it, but it could be my mind playing on me. Of course, I did also heard rumors from a few of them that heard that he's relatively old for his class but they're only rumors anyways, so what do I know?"

"Hehehe. Could have fooled me." Said Thomas with a chuckle. Just then, the guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag around in his hand.

"Goodbye, Thomas." Whistled James as he begun to puffing out of Elsbridge Station. With that, the red tender engine left Elsbridge Station and have set off down the rail track with his seven passenger coaches behind him.

"Goobye James!" Called out Thomas as he laugh, but in his mind, he've thought quietly about their conversation about Coass the BR Class 70 (II). After his new row of passengers have now gotting right onboard into Annie and Clarabel and the guard have blew his whistle with his green flag. With an blow of his whistle, the blue tank engine chuffed out of Elsbridge Station with his two coaches fulled of passengers. But as he puff along down the line, he can't helped but thinking back of what James meant by Coass' engine being nosier than normal.

* * *

A whole week went by after Thomas and James' conversation with each other about the BR Class 70 (II) himself at Elsbridge Station, Coass is often found pulling and hauling long line of good trains, including multiple of freight cars, along down the main line of the North Western Railways from Visartown on the east side of Sodor to Tidmouth Habour on the west side of the island where ships were not only loaded up with cargos to bring out but also bring goods from other places all across the globe of the world that would be loaded into the freight vans in order to bring them to the mainland of Great Britain though a double-tracked bascule-type bridge that is either called the Visartown Rolling Bridge or just simply the Visartown Bridge for simplicy shake that is connected between Visartown and Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria that spanned across the Walney Channel, with the Walney Island itself just right on the edge of the northeast of the Island of Sodor due to the somewhat inward curve sort of crescent shape edge right in the small parts of the northest of the island where it is located in real-life but it is just wide enough for many sorts of ships to pass through but of course this would have made it a total nightmare for many crews to navigate their ships through for couple of centuries when those same ships have became bigger and bigger over those same couple of centuries, all while the screeching growls of his engine became louder and louder bit by bit.

One day, Edward was simmering in one of the sidings in Wellsworth Goods Yard, or Edward's Yard which was name after the No. 2 Engine, at Wellsworth Station, or Edward's Station if you prefer which again was name after him, where it was near to the Brendam Branch Line, or known as Edward's Branch line named after you know who, where the Suddery Junction that is also obviously known as Edward's Junction, since they were the places that Edward himself is seen the most. It had been a long yet productive day: Assist banking engines up Gordon's Hill like the mighty Gordon and haughty James was no mean feat and neither was preparing coaches and good trains for the other engines like either the big and nice-natured Henry or the ditzy and absent-minded Ivon himself. The stationmaster knew how hard Edward had been working and had given him a rest. Edward sighed unwinded. "Ah. It's good to have some time to let your wheels rest." He said, to nobody in particular but himself.

Just at that moment, the astronomical loud honking sound from an diesel engine's train horn blasted though the air and the sound of a diesel locomotive's engine filled the air came from the junction as a yellow and green blur of a engine came streaking by and speeding down the line. There was Coass, speeding down the track and rushing through Wellsworth Station and by Edward's Yard toward Vicartown with a long line of freight cars that were fulled with goods and freights he's hauling behind him while the sounds of his engine along with another odd sound that was heard coming from his engine also had became loud and noticable enough to be notice with the ears on the main line of the North Western Railway.

"Goodness." Said Edward as Coass rattled pass through the station. "He's still keeping going and working." He said with wonderment as the BR Class 70 (II) kept going down the line with the good trains behind him despite his own engine now being noiser and sounding more odder than usual to the point that made it noticable, but then a concerned frown grew on his expression as the blue Class 21 engine became concern about the diesel from the mainland, thinking of what is going on with his engine and how badly it is going to be if something bad happen to it sooner or later.

* * *

Edward was right. Later in the afternoon of the day, Coass was now heading down the main track toward Tidmouth Habour with a new line of containers on flatbed cars he was hauling, bringing to the habor to be transfer onto the ships that were currently docked there waiting to be loaded with the goods that they were taking, and was about to pass through Knapford Junction, which was upgraded from its previous looks that was seen in Reverend Christopher Awdy's _Railway Series _books to its current look now in order to accommodate the increase passengers numbers in the early parts of the 1980s before when the first episode of _Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends _was aired on television in 1984 of October 9th of that year, soon but before he could do that when there was a loud bang in the air before he could pass through. And no wonder, for the BR Class 70 (II) was now coughing in a wheezing feats as his own engine was spluttering and no longer roaring when it happen as he started to slowing down. However, despite wheezing and coughing badly, he struggle with his train and use the last of his own seeping strength to roll over to one of the currently unused sidings at Knapford Junction with his cars of container boxs in order to make clear the main line and room for the other locomotives and trains that were coming on the train tracks he was using to pass through the station until he have finally manage to reach the siding before he crawled to a stopping point and moved no more when his seeping strength have finally failed him as his engine stop running and was now not working anymore, which made him no longer coughing when his feats of coughing have stop but he let out a miserable groan in pain at what had happen as black plumes of smokes was now pouring out and was coming right out from of where his engine block is located.

Edward came travelling down the main line with about some of the empty trucks that he was hauling from Wellsworth Station to take to Knapford Junction and saw mostly of what had happen to the BR Class 70 (II) diesel himself when the blue FR Class 21 engine was nearing the station as he saw Coass now sitting still in one of the siding with the freight train he was pulling before he then came into Knapford Junction and slowly came to a stopped by one of the 5 platforms of the station, near where the Knapford Station Master's office is located where the Fat Controller was talking to the Knapford Station Master about something important when it have happen. Edward glanced a worried look on his face to the broken-down diesel that was sitting in one of the siding at the station in concerns for him as he said to himself. "He'll never make it to the Works under his own power if his engine is currently out of commission."

Just then, a sharply-dressed stout gentlemen and the Knapford Station Master himself came out of the office when they've heard the suddenly bang from Coass's engine, puzzled by what have exactly happen when they heard the explosive bang from the Knapford Station's office in Knapford Junction. "What happened?" Asked the Fat Controller, still puzzled and not sure of what have happened since he didn't see Coass in the siding yet as he was scratching his head at this underneath his tall black tophat with his left hand. Edward had quickly explained to the Fat Controller of what happen. After he listen to what Edward said have happened, the Fat Controller nodded his head at what he heard from the blue FR Class 21 engine before he then told Edward when he was finished. "I see." He said thoughtfully, thinking. "Hmmm. I'll arrange a engine to take him to the Works. While i'll see of who is available at this time, can you shunt Coass' train in another siding in so he could be taken to the Works when there is room for him while i'll arrange another engine to take his train, Edward?"

"Yes sir!" With that, Edward chuffed forward down the line as he took the trucks that he was pulling to one of the sidings that were not being used right now at Knapford Junction before he could shunt Coass' train in one of the other unused sidings, all as the Fat Controller went into the Station Master's office to use his computer to see of who was available as of now, since he knew that Edward is busy as he is needed back at Wellsworth Station to help banking engines up Gordon's Hills.

* * *

Thomas was currently puffing down the line forward at a nice pace of speed cheerfully as he was travelling down the track toward Knapford Junction on his branchline, the Ffarquhar branchline, in order to do some shunting works around the station by the Fat Controller when he have assigned him to do before he could take the trucks that were brought by Edward up to Ffarquhar Station. The blue E2 tank engine, after he reach Dryaw Good Station and taking a drink at the water tower when he was taking waters there before leaving to resume heading toward Knapford Junction, was just enjoying the scenery and landscape around his branchline with a smile across his face while he was travelling down the line and heading toward Knapford Junction, all before his driver's cell phone suddenly ringing, which made him pick it and answered the call on his cell phone. "Hello? ... Yes. ... Yes. ... Yes sir! We'll be right on our way as soon as possible when we'll arrive at the station." With that, Thomas' driver hung up on the call.

"Who was that?" Thomas asked his driver.

"It was the Fat Controller." His driver answered. "He told that there was an accident: Coass has broken down on the main line and he ask us to take him to Crovan's Gate Works so that he could be taken to the workshop to be fixed up and we could do our works at the junction when we're finishing taking. You think you can do that, Thomas?"

"Oh yes,! Yes I can!" Answered Thomas.

Thomas have speeded up his pace of speed as he was chuffing down along the track toward Knapford Junction. It took him a while for him to reach it and get there before the blue tank engine had finally arrived at the junction. When Thomas arrived and reach Knapford Junction, he saw that Edward had already turned Coass around to faced him toward to where Crovan's Gate Works is down the main line on the turn table and was already pushing the broken down BR Class 70 (II) diesel into a different siding so that the blue tank engine could couple up to him and take him to Croven's Gate Works to be fix up before he was finished putting Coass in the siding. Once he've did that, Edward begun to moved backward out of the siding just as Thomas came up to him on the line next to the one he was on as he whistled. "Hello Edward!"

"Hello Thomas."

"So how are you doing, Edward?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you."

"So tell me. Why didn't the Fat Controller choose you to take him to the Works? Is it because of your age since you're getting old like a grandpa who is a century-old, Old Iron?" Teased Thomas, joking about the blue No 2. Engine's old age.

"Maybe. Since I'm not as sprightly as I used to be myself anyways!" Joked Edward back with am chuckle. "No, I'm just too busy to do since I have banking duties right now." He said, as Henry is now taking Coass' train that he was pulling to Tidmouth Habour when he was couple up to his trucks with his back buffers. With that, the blue FR Class 21 engine whistled as he begun to move and start to puff as he went forward toward the turntable to turned himself around in order to travelling and heading back to one of the sidings in Wellsworth Station. "Goodbye, Thomas! I'll see you soon."

"Goodbye, Edward!"

Thomas went backward and then switched to the next line before he have quickly came into the siding where Coass and, once he have bump and connected his front bumpers right up against the BR Class 70 (II) diesel's own front bumpers, couple up to him. Once the blue E2 tank engine was coupled up to him, Sir Topham Hatt walked up to him with his own driver beside him before the Fat Controller spoke to the broken down diesel. "Your driver have told me that you were having some problematic problems with your own engine. Why didn't you tell me about this before it had happen?"

"I was wanting to tell you about the problems that I was having with my engine a week ago sir, but I saw that one of your green engines, Ivon I think his name was, being push into the workshop at Crovan's Gate by another one of your engines, the big blue one whom I think his name is Gordon, due to an accident that he had, when I passing by the building with one of my fast goods trains at that time a week prior, so I have decide against it for it and thought my engine wouldn't get any worse when I have told my driver since I didn't want to impose nor intrude it on you, sir." Explained Coass, communicating to him through the pair of speakers on his forehead of his cab.

"Imposing? Intruding? Nonsense!" Said the Fat Controller with a kind smile. "Your engine will be check to see of what kind of problem that it is and once it is found, you'll shall be fix in no time. Any sorts of engines that are working on my railway will be fixed at the workshop of my railway, no matter if they're one of my engines or not on my railway."

"Oh, um, thank you. Thank you very much for that, sir."

"You're welcome, Coass. Please take him to Croven's Gate Works now, Thomas."

"Yes sir!"

With a wheezing blow of his whistle after Coass' driver had got back inside of his cab, Thomas easily pulled Coass out of the siding with a mighty and incredible heave of his own strength despite the bigger diesel's heavier weight and bigger size than his own. Once he have pulled the broken down diesel out of the siding, Thomas begun pulling Coass when they have start their journary to travel down the track to Croven's Gate Works in the town of Croven's Gate that it is named after as he was puffing and chuffing down the main line with the BR Class 70 (II) diesel to head toward their destination in order to fix his engine while he is there.

As they were currently making headway down the primary and the main sets of tracks of the North Western Railway toward Croven's Gate Works just as they were reaching Wellsworth Station before Coass spoke to Thomas when he've decide to spark up a conversation with the blue No 1. tank engine himself, since he figure he has nothing else better to do while they're travelling toward the workshop in Croven's Gate in his broken down state. "So you're Thomas, right?"

"Hm? Yes, that's my name. Since everybody already knows of I am anyways thanks to a rather certain TV series of the name as mine."

"Yeah. I first heard about you from the books of the Railway Series when I have heard that it was inspiration to the TV series while I was doing my job that you've mention, long before I came to North Western Railway to help you with your workloads."

"Yeah, I guess that make sense. I have to say, this is my first time of meeting you properly in person without me focusing on my job. Through not under circumstances that I was expecting to be in."

"That's okay. It can happen to everyone, but thank you for that compliment."

Thomas and Coass were now right passing by Maron Station after Edward had helped them up over Gordon's Hill. "So the legendary name of that infamous and notorious hill that i've heard from the engines on the island is Gordon's Hill, huh?"

"Yep. That's the name of that hill and the track that they are on is what we called by."

"So tell me. How did it get the name Gordon's Hill? Even through it is really not hard to guess why. And what it was its name before it?"

"Hmmm..." Thomas thought about that question thoughtfully when they reach and were now passing through the town of Cronk, a short form of its full name Cronk-ny-Braaid, before he have finally answered. "Well... from the stories of what I heard about around it and what I could remember, the name that it have been once originally called by was lost to the time itself yet historians and archaeologist around Sodor believed and have theorized that its original name might have been actually Gordon's Hill in one form or another, through the exact meaning of that name in Surdian is still debatable to this day as of now. As for its previous name, the previous name of both the set of tracks and the hill they are on, that it was called before, it was previously been called Preston Incline when I've first start working in the North Western Railway back in 1915 during the First World War. The name Gordon's Hill was first used as just simply a joke name for them due to a certain incident when Gordon have gotting struck there and required Edward's help to bank him up over the hill with a train of trucks back in either 1924 or 25, something that I've still remember to this day. However, from there, the name slowly grew in popularity, slowly growing up in popularity until it had now became the inspiration and served the basis for one of the stories in the first book of the Railway Series, where the name Gordon's Hill stuck. And the rest is history."

"Hehehehe. Yeah, pretty much." Thomas and Coass were now travelling down the main line between Cronk and Killdane, after having already pass through the town of Cronk and they were now reaching the town of Killdane, before the broken down diesel have decide to ask another question that he was interested in. "So tell me. From what I heard, there were some mechanical inconsistencies during the early parts of the Railway Series with the third artist working. Were the explaniations that are provided by the same author of the Railway Series were true?"

"Hm? Oh yeah. It's somewhat true. Well you see, it's not really actually the third artist who was working at that time his own fault exactly _per se _because here's the funny thing: Croven's Gate Works have several periods and various shortages of various spare parts during those times and the workers who have worked in the workshop in those same times period have forced to make do of whatever spare parts they have that were laying around on the floors of the backshops in the back, forcing themselves to make both last minutes adjustments and modifications, which have made both the first and second Fat Controllers seriously irritated at those times, but they weren't as bad as in the book series." Explained Thomas as he joked with the diesel, chuckling when he remember those times.

"Hehehe. It is pretty funny since I can sympathy with them." Commented Coass. As they have already passed Killdane after they made a temporary stop there when Thomas had to stop for coal, he decide to ask something that was nudging him and made him curious when he have notice that a word in one of the sentences he said was a bit more harsher and colder than the rest. "I'm getting the faint impression that the third artist... umm... what's his name again?"

"C. Reginald Dalby?"

"Yes! That was the name I was looking for. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome."

"Anyway, I'm getting the faint impression that the third artist of the Railway Series, Clarence Reginald Dalby which I think his name is, is not really popular around Sodor, isn't he?"

"Well... while he is respected due to his work on the book series and providing illustration for the book series, C. Reginald Dalby has a more mixed-to-negative reputation around the Island of Sodor, especially among us engines but especially to our red Number Five James, due to his indifference to railway engineering and mechinical details, since we wanted to be portray of what we were as accurate as possible in a children book to avoid confusing readers if they were going to read one of the stories causally. I mean, how on earth does Henry have Gordon's buffers with his bluepaint in one scene and is protray missing his trailing wheels in another scene before his rebuild when he had his accident with the Flying Kipper while the flowers by Henry's tunnel keep disappearing and reappearing in one of the stories and Duck appear to be taller than Henry in one of the illustration, the sixth one, and making Percy looking like a green catepillar with red stripes in another one in another story! Reginald Payne, has a more better and positive reputation around here on the island even through he is not actually remembered all that well and is rather mostly forgotten by people outside of Sodor who aren't a buff or a nerd of the series due to only illustrating one story. He is a well-respected man, but not well-liked on the island of Sodor due to his preference to draw engine without getting the inspiration from the real life engines that were necessary for the looks since he probably thought all steam engines just look the same to him to be precise, so he is kinda like Terry Nation and Gene Roddenberry due to them being well-respected but not well-liked to be rather honest now that I think about it." The blue No 1. tank engine then took a deep breather and give a sheeplish and apologetic look to the broken down diesel that he was pulling to the works. "Sorry about my rant, it's just that James' own rants about him that I constantly hear over the years can be so annoying at times since he still haven't forgiven and still hold a grudge against him to this day due to the errors and goofs that he have made in his illustrations for the third book of the series, as he often can hold a grudge, but the points that he've made that I spoke about are still points that are technically right about him since it would confused the readers of whichever books that they were reading from between 3th to 11th books and the first author of the Railway Series, Wilbert Awdry himself, had to suffer for those errors and goofs in the illustrations that he created since he is forced to provide makeshift explantions and answers on the top of the hat because of those same errors. I guess he somehow rub it off to me so I blame him for that, but i'm not really surprised by that since it is James we're talking about."

"That's alright. I was wanting to know about your guys' honest opinion on him anyway. So he's not that well-liked here, isn't he?"

"No. He's not at all well-liked on Sodor. Due to those same reason of what I mention to you."

"From what you told me from your opinions about him, I can't really blame for you guys for not actually liking him that much for those reasons."

Both Thomas and Coass were heading toward the town of Kellsthorpe Road as they've travel down the track after they have already pass through Killdane when they were now located travelling between Killdane and Kellsthorpe Road toward their destination of Croven's Gate Works down the line as the blue tank engine then told the broken down BR Class 70 (II) diesel that he was hauling to the Works for repairs. "Alright, now we're reaching Kellsthorpe Road station. Soon after we'll passed that, Croven's Gate will be next, where the Works itself is at. Once we get to the Works, the workmen working there will check your engine to see of what is the problem exactly and once they find it of what it is, they'll shall fix you up in no time. Which is thankful really, since the workshop at Croven's Gate no longer need to worry about the shortage of parts and making use of whatever they have laying around like what I've told you about earlier, due to the fact that they can now make and manufacture the parts that are necessary on their own ever since the workshops were upgraded during the 1980s to make repairs to both steam and diesel engines more faster as well as efficient. So they could repair you in about a few week to a couple of days, probably even a day or two, at best depending of what the problem is exactly. Hehehehe, it sounds definitely good and a lot more better than what it was like during the 1950s much the Fat Controllers' own chargin at those times, huh?"

"Yeah, that is definitely sound way more better to me than during those times when it have various shortage of parts that you've told me about." Said Coass with a chuckle in amusement and sympathy. "Of course, this is actually not my first time that I had an accident that was related to my own engine."

"It is?" Said Thomas, curious of this as he listened to broken down BR Class 70 (II) diesel very carefully with interests.

"Oh yes. It is a couple years ago when the accident that was my first happen, you see: I was hauling my good trains of freight on the line between Basingstoke and Winchester when am fire suddenly broke out in my engine room and then immediately causing a engine room fire that required the attention of a fire brigade." Explained

"I see." Said Thomas. "Well, on the bright side of things, at least your accident near Knapford Junction wasn't as serious!"

"Yes. I suppose to say that is a good thing to say the least!" Said Coass in a jolly tone of voice as he shared a good laugh with the blue No 1. tank engine that was pulling him to the repair workshop in Croven's Gate, all as they were now nearing the town of Kellsthorpe Road.

Their journary have tooking them about a hour or so in order to reach Croven's Gate Works before both engines, both steam and diesel engine alike, have finally manage to reach their destination of the workshop in Croven's Gate. Once they've now manage to reach the Works, Thomas immediately begun to moved Coass right into the workshop, just as they pass by Ivon when he was moving out of the repair shop after being repaired from his recent accident, and pulled him onto a berth in the workshop where he can be checked and inspect to see of what was the problem before the blue E2 tank engine was then uncoupled from the broken down BR Class 70 (II) diesel, as he then quickly switch to the next set of tracks that were currently now empty and decide to stop right next to the broken down diesel as he spoke to him with a wish of good luck and a goodbye to him. "Farewell, Coass. I hope that you'll get soon."

"Well, I hope so too." Said Coass with a friendly smile. "And don't worry, once i'm fixed, i'll be back working of pulling and hauling freight train soon. So goodbye to you too, Thomas."

He nodded as he give a friendly smile to him now his work of taking Coass to the workshop was now done. And with that, upon seeing that his work was now done, Thomas went out of Croven's Gate Works. Once that was done, the blue No. 1 E2 tank engine immediately begun puffing and chuffing down the main track as he start heading back toward Knapford Junction, chugging down the main line of the North Western Railway as he was travelling back toward it to do his shunter work.

After finishing the work when the sun was now beginning to set into the east, Thomas start heading and travelling down the line of the Ffarquhar branchline back home to the Ffarquhar Sheds at the aptly named and iconic Ffarquhar Station all as the blue No. 1 E2 tank engine passed by the most favorite part and sight of his own branchline that he like to see everyday, the Ffarquhar Post Windmill...

* * *

**A/N: Hey, this is the new Thomas The Tank Engine and Friend fanfic that I was wanting to post up to now: Tales of the Northwesten Railways Of Sodor. Both the primary creation and the primany motivation behind this story and why I have created it in the first place will be reveal in a later chapter that I am soon planning to post like in the next month or so. The Tales of the Northwesten Railways Of Sodor will be a mixture of both the Railway Series and the Thomas The Tank Engine and Friend TV series along with a few different series too, mostly based on the Railway Series books with some characters from the Thomas The Tank Engine and Friend TV series along those aforemention series being transplanted into this story, which are the ones that I like or were introduce in the classic era, from the show even though I don't bother to watch the rest of the TV series anymore, through I probably include other characters if I feel like it, through there will be mostly OC that I've created. So here are character that are in my story.**

**Thomas The Tank Engine and Friend TV: Cranky, Salty, Murdoch, Neville (Since I found the sheer versatilie of his class appealing to me)**

**Railway Series: Bear, Pip and Emma, The Work Diesel (I'll go with Jeff since that is what the fandom called hom), probably one character that i'll not mention**

**Okay, the idea behind this chapter was based and inspired by the first episode of the British Railway Series by Simon A.C. Martin but adding my own twist to the idea. Because I want to start slow and safe with this story as I want to make details in my own unique way.**

**The reason of why I choose a BR Class 70 (II) in this story was because I just like of how the class look and I have use the real life 70018 as basis of Coass because it have a engine room fire accident back in April 5th of 2012. So why did I choose the name Coass and where did it come from? Well, it came from when I accidently misspell "class" and it was really just a pure coincidence that it was same as the short acronym form of the composition that make up Cobaltite. Plus, it does help the time setting of this story since I think it is set somewhere between 2015 to 2018 when started. **

**The main reason of why I wrote details and interpretations for certain parts in this chapter about the Railway Series was mainly because I want to make jokes about them as well as make continuity nods to the Railway Series books at the same time. As for Thomas' own rant about C. Reginald Dalby, I am going to be honest here: I've actually never grew up with the Railway Series since I was born in the US and have only known Thomas The Tank Engine and Friend TV series since the first time that I have known about was James Learns a Lesson and Other Stories on the VHS. From what I've read about him on the Thomas Wiki, I am honestly going to say that while he did caught the attention of readers with the colors of his illusration in the books, his indifference to railway engineering and mechnicial details along with the numbers of artistic errors and consistencely poor grasp of perspectives in the work of his own illusrations just honestly rub me off the wrong way since I really like accuracy and want to be accurate to the class of locomotive as much as possible. I think my own opinion of him have just slowly became the basis of James' opinion and rant about him that Thomas since 1. I want to portray a in-universe example of America Hate Tingle, 2. I just find it ironic due to the fact that it was James' daylight in a story, and 3. its James, what did you expect? **

**Anyway, I was hoping that I would post in either Augest or September, but October is a good idea to post it to since Thomas The Tank Engine and Friend TV was first aired in October. Man, this A/N is long, huh? Anyway, i'll post 3 more chapters and then i'll only post a chapter once in a while. So what is the main inspiration and creation behind this story? You'll find out in the fourth chapter...**


	2. A Reunion of Old Friends

On the island of Sodor, there was a branch line called the Herman Churchward Branchline where a line or two that split from the Brendam Branch Line to westward of it, just before the island captial of Suddery a couple of miles away towared in the north, and which mostly goes along aside a river called the Long Silver River that ends at Brendam Dock, one of Sodor's two most famous ports, (which you may not know that the town and former fishing village it is name after have grown up around the mouth of Long Silver River) and begin at the mouth of a lake located up in the most western middle part of the Brendam Peninsula and it is a small river, but it was easily quite big, wide, and deep enough to allow for at least a quite relatively large tramper or two to enter.

This is where the L.S.R.G (Long Silver River Group) Company, which was founded somewhere between in the late 1950 to the early to middile 1960s and is currently lead by Captain Cigar Griffron, is based at and where the strong and hard-working tugs of the L.S.R.G Company fleet themselves lived at, whose strength and big hearts have made them popular with everyone all from relatively small trampers to cruise ships and cargo ships, which consisted of;

Ten Cents, a habour switcher tug with a East End Cockney accent who have used to work for a tugboat company that went defunct during the Great Depression called the Starfleet before he came to Great Britain during World War 2 to help with the war effort and he became a part of the L.S.R.G Company fleet when he was brought during the late 1970s to help with the work. While he can be snappy at times due to his relatively middle age compare to his colleagues, he is also quick-witted and takes actions swiftly without hesitation. He is painted in his Starfleet livery.

O.J, a old sidewheeler paddle steamer habour tug and the only wheelhouse habour tug of the entire fleet whose real name is Otis Jones or Old Jones (he doesn't mind being called by either those of names anyways) and is also a former Starfleet tug like Ten Cents before he was forced to be sold off during the Great Depression and left before he came to the Island of Sodor, the place where he was originally build, after he brought. He was build in the Island of Sodor somewhere between the late 1860s to early 1870s (probably around 1874 at latest) as a part of once numerous types of steam powered paddle tugboats build in Sodor that began with the first one who was his oldest brother build in 1814 to his youngest and last brother of his class, Lakesider III, build in 1914 and originally operate as an ocean-going tug designed and able to tow seagoing vessels from the sea to the wharf side for nearly 30 years before he brought by then young Captain Star after he have founded the Star Tug and Marine company in 1892 and came to Biggs City port after he travel across the Atlantic Ocean in a rather fruitful adventure where he worked for the Starfleet for about over 40 years before he was forced to be sold off in the early 1930s, probably roughly around in between 1930 to 1933 with most likey date being somewhere in 1930, during the Great Depression by Captain Star before Starfleet went defunct after he left and came back to the Island of Sodor in between 1964 to 1967 when he was brought by the L.S.R.G Company thanks to his nearly 100 years worth of experiences. He is easily the oldest tug in the entire fleet along with Uncle Patch yet he is also one of the most reliable despite this fact and also helped that he is also the most wisest and experience due to his age. He speak with a South Welsh accent and is painted in a mixture of black, red, and white livery with black painted on his hull with red on the bottom, white painted on his superstructure, and black & white painted on his funnel like his youngest brother Lakesider III.

Big Mac, a former Starfleet habour with a Scottish accent tug who is best friends with Warrior. He can come across as a rude and stubborn tug by many, but he has a heart of gold despite his tendencies to be macho, gruff, and tough at times and he is very much willing to set aside his own safety for the sake of others, and usually (but not always) remains level-headed when undergoing a strategy. He works mainly with Warrior and the two tugs have a very close friendship with each other. Even though Warrior's own clumsiness and thick head and Segar's constantly relaxed yet slow personality occasionally frustrates him, he still respects and cares for them (through it is more begrudging in a rather annoyed manner on his side toward Segar). He also willing to stands up for Warrior if anyone makes fun of him. He is painted in his Starfleet livery like Ten Cents.

Warrior, a unintelligent former Starfleet habour tug who is rather quite dim and certainly dumb but also loveable absentminded idiot (which may explain the reason why he is friend with Ivon) with a burly London accent and is best friends with Big Mac. He is often clumsy and rather dimwitted, but tries not to mess up. He is extremely hardworking, despite the fact that his inherent clumsiness often leads to problems. Despite his shortcomings and even though he's certainly not the smartest tug on the fleet, he have proven himself to be a valuable member of the L.S.R.G Company fleet and can occasionally come up with bright (if unusual) ideas in dire situations. He usually works with Big Mac and sometimes, Segar whom he is great friends with. He is painted in his Starfleet livery like Ten Cents.

Zebedee, a easy-going yet laconic former Z-Stack habour tug with a Liverpudlian accent who is a bit abrasive along with rude and vindictive as he preferred to speak his sentences short with few words as possible and being blunt and straightfoward with his words at times, but he has a kind center to him and is quite a reasonable if rather blunt tug on a day-to-day basis along with having a strong sense of right and wrong and often act as a mediator and middle-man between Big Mac and Segar if either OJ or Uncle Patch or Herscules aren't around to act as sort of peacemaker and moderator to them when doing a job together. He is often use for varienty of tasks and is often partnered up and worked with Segar due to him not minding and being able to tolerated to his relaxed yet sometimes slow personality more than Big Mac does while also personally serving as his minder in order to keep a eye on him. He is painted in his black Z-Stack livery.

Hercules, a ocean-going tug and is the biggest tug in the entire L.S.R.G Company fleet who is often tasked with escorting large vessels to port or answering distress calls at sea and more than often than not is in charge of large operations and important contracts as he is a cool-headed figure but his words are often hard and although he can be strict and serious with his comrades and colleagues, he also displays a gentler side and a sense of humor on occasion. Nothing can break him and not even the antics of the others, especially the twin Ike and Bike with their antics and planks, can set him back. He speaks with a clear soft tone and received pronunciation (Standard British/Southern British accent) and wears a pair of specs/rounded sunglasses with a orange/yellowish-tint. He is painted in his Starfleet livery like Ten Cents.

Sea Rouge and his uncle, Uncle Patch; a pair of habour tugs who used to work for a munitions factory upriver near Biggs City and were friends with Starfleet (and Zebedee). Sea Rogue is a hard-working but friendly tug with a decent experience of handling explosive with cares who wears a eyepatch on his left eye and speak with a England West Country accent. Uncle Patch is a wise, kind, and polite elderly tug with years of experiences behind him who is the second oldest tug after OJ himself since he was build at the Island of Sodor somewhere between the late 1860s to late 1870s (probably somewhere around between 1876 to 1878 at best) and one of the few tugs who are able to keep Ike and Bike in order the best. They were painted in a blackish-blue for Sea Rouge and painted black on the hull, orange on the superstructure, and red on the funnel for Uncle Patch respectively.

Ike and Bike, a pair of modern small harbour switchers like Sunshine that were twins with a mischief streaks like Bill and Ben (which was the reason why they are close and best friends with them), basically making them the tugs version of Bill and Ben. They absolutely loved to play pranks on their colleagues with their favorite to play pranks on were Warrior, Segar, and Big Mac. The only ones who are able to keep them control and in line were Captain Cigar, OJ, Uncle Patch, Ten Cents, and Hercules. They are painted in a yellow and green livery.

And Segar, a large modern harbour tug who's larger than Big Mac but is smaller than Hercules and he is the second largest and strongest tug after Hercules in the L.S.R.G fleet, but despite this, he got a surprisingly relax and laidback personality, but he was too relax and it make him often slow. This is the reason why he and Big Mac have a such tensive relationship with each other due to Big Mac disliking and being generally frustrated with his laidback and carefree personality since they have opposite personalities from each other, but the two are willing to work together if the situation calls for it. He is painted in a blue with a slight brown shade livery.

They were a good crew, striving to be the best that they could able to be in the waters around the Island of Sodor. Not always succeeding, but proud of their works.

* * *

One morning, after Coass' has his accident with his engine when his engine have failed him a few days ago, Ivon was at Moby Dockyard when he have came up and arrived at the station of the dockyard, called Great Bear of the Pacific Station or just simply Great Bear Station by the way, where the tugs usually/mostly rest and sleep at during the night upon making his stop there to take a quick drink and a temporary break with some empty trucks behind him he was pulling and taking a few days after Coass's accident as he was taking them up the line to be filled and loaded with goods to be pulled back down to the Brendam branchline and currently was talking to the L.S.R.G Company tugs whom he's having a conversation with.

"Oi, Ivon! 'Ow's Coass doin'?" Asked Ten Cents, hearing about the mainland diesel's accident with his engine a few days prior and was wondering of how he was doing.

"Hmm? Who? Who's Coass?" Said Ivon when he spoke out of his megaphone, having already forgotting who Coass is and being his ususal absentminded and scatterbrain-self. Thankfully, his driver told them and answered for him.

"He's doing okay, Ten Cents! They've already repaired his engine now and he's already back doing his job!" Called out Ivon's driver to the tug from his cab, causing Ten Cents to just rolled his eyes at Ivon having forgotting something once again, before he turned to the yew green locomotive and told him to jog his memories. "Coass. You know, the one who you called the diesel with the strange-looking cab?"

"Huh? Oh! Right, right, right. Now I remember. Yeah, Coass is back on doing his job."

"Well, that's good ter 'ear." Comment Ten Cents.

"So what you are guys doing today?" Asked Ivon.

"Oh, ya know. Just the bloodly usual old routine of our jobs, Ivon. Of course, there's goin' ter be an important contract for us of pullin' a loaded cargo freight ship into Brendam Dock filled with cargos today." Said Ten Cents before he spoke to the others. "Isn't that right, guys?"

The other tugs of the L.S.R.G Company fleet both commented and agreed with Ten Cents on what he have said, agreeding with him.

"Aye, correct." Said OJ.

"Oh yes." Said Uncle Patch.

"Pretty much." Said Sea Rogue.

"Aye." Commented Big Mac.

"Yup." Said Warrior.

"Yes." Said Zebedee.

"Correct, m'dears." Said Hercules.

"Yep!" Popped Ike and Bike.

"Yeah." Said Segar.

While they were talking, the Troublesome Trucks were bored and decide to play their tricks on Ivon and making trouble for him (since Ivon was the one of trucks' favorite engines to play their tricks on ) by breaking away from him for their own amusement and entertainment.

"Let's break away~. Let's break away~." The Troublesome Trucks cheerfully whispered to each other quietly. One of the couplings was neglected and it wasn't secured properly. With one careful pull and tug on it, the coupling snapped. With one snap of the neglected coupling, the trucks broke free and begun rolling backward down the line and pick up speed, but the green ditzy engine didn't hear the snap of the coupling.

Ivon didn't notice this and have not realized that the trucks he was taking behind him broke loose at first. But the tugs, however, did when they've saw it and told him by pointing it out to him.

"Um, Ivon?" Said Ten Cents when he decide to pointed it out to Ivon. "Your trucks. They broke loose."

It have took Ivon a few moments for him to react until the green 0-6-0 tender engine reacted to this when he finally notice it and realized this upon being pointed it out by Ten Cents as he shouted out of his megaphone.

"OH _BALLAST!_"

After been pointed out of what happen, Ivon immediately took off in reverse after the trucks and left Moby Dockyard to chased the runaway empty cars.

The tugs simply stared and watched Ivon going backward and chasing after the loose truck in silence as they turns their heads at seeing him go.

"...Is it just me or doesn't Ivon seems to be that bright?" Ask Warrior, causing Big Mac to roll his eyes at his close friend.

"Aye. _30 _years we've knoon 'at fur already, Warrior." Deadpanned Big Mac.

"Oh, okay. I guess that's make sense- _30 years?!_"

* * *

The runaway Troublesome trucks were racing down the rails of the branchline as Ivon chased and rushed backward down the line as fast as he could in reverse right after out of control the trucks.

"Faster! Faster!" Shouted the empty Troublesome Trucks as they cackled in excitment.

They continue to rolling and running down the Herman Churchward Branchline out of control as they headed toward and manage to reach a famous white-colored railed beam bridge with a small and shallow calf-deep river going into Long Silver River just right down below under the bridge and is a part of the branchline itself called Dunkel Bridge until it was too late when they suddenly bounced off of the bridge to the right and fall down to Long Silver River below, dropping and splashing into the waters of Long Silver River.

Ivon arrived at the scene of the crash not long after. His driver poke his head out of his cab to look down and saw the trucks floating up on Long Silver River's water's surface before he just sighed at this. "This was our fault, we've didn't secured properly or ask if they were secured properly. We'll have to get help to pull them out."

That was when OJ came down the river to the scene and saw the trucks floating down on the Long Silver River's surface.

"You need help with this?" Asked OJ.

"Yes please, OJ!" Called out Ivon's driver.

"Sir Topham Hatt will be very annoyed by this _again_." Said Ivon's fireman under his breath.

* * *

After the trucks were pulled out of Long Silver River's waters with helps from OJ a few hours, Sir Topham Hatt came over to Ivon sitting in one of the sheds at Brendam Dock with both his driver and fireman at his sides and the Fat Controller spoke to him.

"Ivon. This isn't really your fault this time, since one of the workmen had admit that he knew that he have must forgotting something important and have forgotting to check if one of the couplings were secured properly and double checking to make sure properly from what your driver and fireman told me when they asked him." Said Sir Topham Hatt.

"Yes, sir." Said Ivon meekly.

"But I think that it would be best that if you were to be temporary suspended from taking your turn of pulling anymore trains up to the Herman Churchward Branchline and doing anymore work on the line for now due to me knowing your own... well... _accident_-prone nature all too well to say the least, Ivon."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

"Now don't be ashamed, Ivon. I understand that you're prone to having accidents, but I also know for a fact that you do the best you can despite your forgetful traits and everybody make an accident or two once in a while."

"Yes, sir."

With that, the Fat Controller walked away from the shed Ivon was sitting in.

Sir Topham Hatt walked over and came up to where Edward was taking a temporary break and rest in one of the nearby slidings at Brendam Dock and his car was at nearby to him before he then spoke to the old blue tender engine and told him along with his crew.

"I've spoke to Ivon and told him that he will be suspended from taking any trains up to the Herman Churchward Branchline and doing anymore work on the line for now, Edward." The Fat Controller told Edward. "So both you and the other engines' worklords and taking your turns of taking your trains and doing work up to the Herman Churchward Branchline will be increase for a while."

"Don't worry, sir. I'm sure we can handle it." Said Edward with a friendly smile toward the Fat Controller. "After all, we can handle a tiny increase in our workloads. Through i'm pretty sure James will complained about this for sure since he is James afterall." He chuckled.

"I'm glad to hear that from you, Edward." Said the Fat Controller with a knowing smile, before it give way to a thoughtful frown on his face as he thought about this question on his mind and said to himself. "However, I believe what we really need right now is a engine to offically run the branchline. But which engine and who would it be exactly?"

Sir Topham Hatt contemplate about this question in silence to himself for a moment.

That was when Captain Cigar, who look like your typical old yet fit bearded sailor except for a cigar in his mouth, came over to the Fat Controller after he arrived in Brendem Dock on Salty in order to speak with him in person, who have notice him coming to him before he spoke to the old leader of the L.S.R.G Company.

"Ah, Captain Cigar. I didn't expected you." Said Sir Topham Hatt politely to him.

"Aye. I figure it wud be best ter yer in person." Said Captain Cigar, speaking with his natural Irish accent as he puff a calm whisp of smoke from his mouth.

"So what have you brought here, my old friend?"

"Ah, nathin' much. Jist 'eard dat de trucks made trouble for Ivon. Those sneaky wee bastards. So what are yer thinking about on your mind?"

"I was thinking and contemplating of getting a engine in order to run and work on the Herman Churchward Branchline, but I don't know what engine should I get and who it will be to run it exactly."

"Hmmm... 'av yer know about de Star Tugs Company Ltd, right?" Said Captain Cigar, after he contemplate and thought about it for a moment as he drawn and inhaled the emitted smoke from his ciger into his mouth before suddenly getting the idea in his mind as he blew out the smoke from his mouth after remembering something when both he visit a display shop along the Herman Churchward Branchline and read something of interest that was on the internet. "Yer know, dat wan certain dedicated non-for-profit groop who are aimin' ter preserve, restore, an' displaying de various models an' props dat would used in the production of a certain TV show dat is partly based on some of my tugs's days when they were still in de Starfleet and Z-Stacks from de late 1980s?"

"You mean that same group who owned that building on the station along the Herman Churchward Branchline? Yes, I did heard and do know about them. What make you say that?"

"Well, I got an idea that might worked and solved dat problem of yours. It's a idea both you an' dat groop will quite like. Since I read there is this heritage railway in Biggs City..."

* * *

It was almost well over a week later. A surprised came to the Island of Sodor a week later. Ten Cents was taking an nice and well-earned rest at Moby Dockyard after finishing his job of bringing and pulling an pair of 2 fully-loaded barges up the Long Silver River to their intended destination where Uncle Patch was also currently resting at when Salty have suddenly came down the Herman Churchward Branchline and arrived at the railway station of the dockyard with a small line of a few trucks behind him and called out to him.

"Ahooy there, matey!" Salty called out.

"Hey, Salty." Said Ten Cents.

"How are ye doing, Ten Cents?"

"I'm doin' fine, Salty. Just takin' a temporary rest right now."

"Aye. Arrrr. And it's a mighty fine day too, nice enough for ter 'ave a little wee chat with each other, eh?"

"Yeah, it's a nice day."

As Ten Cents and Salty were talking to each other and were just generally having a good old conversation with each other, the dockyard BR Class 07 diesel decide to bring up something to the old switcher and told him this from what Big Mickey have told him and heard him said to the dockyard diesel.

"Arrrr, Ten Cents. I've 'ear from Big Mickey that there's going to be a surprise coming to Sodor. Did you know about that?"

"No. I 'aven't."

Before Ten Cents could reply and ask, he heard the rather familiar sound of a certain whistle he hadn't heard in quite a long time. He turned to see and saw a extensive modified 0-6-0T+T steam engine with a dull grey paintjobs and a orange-colored megaphone sticking right out of the cab's left window coming down the branchline toward the station of Moby Dockyard until the steam train had came to a stop at the station right beside Salty on the right while OJ was both pulling and towing beside him a pair of two faded brown-colored railways barges/car floats that have black nameplates with the white letters of "Frank" and "Eddie" painted on respectively. Ten Cent couldn't believe his eyes at what he was seeing.

"Puffa?! Frank and Eddie?! Is that you?!" Exclaimed and shouted Ten Cent in geniue surprised and joyful happiness at the same time with a jolly and happy smile at this, overjoy at seeing his old friends, much less three of them at once, again.

"Hello, Ten Cents! It's good to see you too again after all these years!" Said Puffa as he spoke out of his orange megaphone cheerfully to Ten Cents like a old friend that they haven't seen in years and a really long time that he is. "Too long in fact!"

"Hey, Ten Cents. A long time no see." Said Frank. "Quite especially a long time too."

"It's been a long time since we've last seen each other. Huh, Ten Cents?" Added Eddie.

"I'm glad ter see all of you three again too! You have no idea of 'ow glad and 'appy I am ter see not only you three again but ter see that you three 're still around too! I 'ave thought that you three were all but scrapped at this point for all of these years after the last time i've last saw all of you in Biggs City back when we've left ter 'elp with the effort in Great Britian durin' World War II!" Said Ten Cents happily at this before he then ask them an important question. "Speaking of that, 'ow you are still around through?"

"Oh, well that's simple really; When I was pulled out of service and taking out of commission as I was considered and branded to be too old for further service for being out of date by that point already and I was soon put into the scrapyard because of that, I thought I was going to be a goner and become scrap when the brokers have came to break me up into pieces, but thankfully I was saved from that fate when a pair of three men who were young boys back then when I've met them and have often come visit me when they were much youngers years ago have suddenly came and saved me from becoming scrap when they brought me during the early 1950s and I have worked and run on a heritage railway near Biggs City ever since then for a long time before I've came to the island where you lots are at." Answered and explained Puffa as he spoke out of his megaphone.

"Yeah. While me and Frank had still served and worked in our usual ferry routes around Biggs City with a different railway tug." Said Eddie.

"Yes, through we didn't ferry and transported as much trains these day as we've used to back then compare to the 1950s." Commented Frank.

"That's true."

"Uh-huh. So why 're you three doin' 'ere in Sodor anyway now?" Query Ten Cents, wanting to know what the reason of why Puffa, Frank, and Eddie have came over to the Island of Sodor and were here for exactly.

"I am here because I came when Sir Topham Hatt brought me from my owners of the heritage railway that I had lived and worked at previously for quite a really good price in order to run the Herman Churchward Branchline after I've heard he was wanting a engine to run it after an accident that had happened with one of his engines and he wanted me to become the main engine to running this branchline when he brought me over since he said that I personally knew most of you lots back during the 1920s, which I'd immediately agreed to so I could see all you guys again. Thankfully, my previous owners agreed to this and didn't mind about that and were actually quite acceptance of me going to the island of Sodor since they were also big fans of that 1980s tv show that are partly based on your lots' adventures during that time." Answered and explained Puffa, both explaining and telling Ten Cents the reason of why he along with Frank and Eddie were here now, as he told him. "While Frank and Eddie were also brought by him and have came along with me to help you lots with your workloads, like transporting the cargos and ferrying the trains up and down the Long Silver River."

"That is quite correct, Puffa." Said the Fat Controller, as he and Captain Cigar climb down out of Puffa's cab on the left side before they walked up to in front of Puffa and Salty and spoke to Ten Cents. "I have brought him from the heritage railway in Biggs City over to Sodor to be the main and primary engine to run the Herman Churchward Branchline while I have brought Frank and Eddie to helping you and the other L.S.R.G Company tugs with your worklords. That is not only reason too, as they were also in that 1980s show based on your adventures during your days when you were in the Starfleets called TUGS since Star Tugs Company Ltd have and owned most of the models they have found so far from that show, so it will boost tourism to this line too due to that reason. So Puffa, Frank, and Eddie are now owned and a part of the North-Western Railway." Sir Topham Hatt then turned to face toward Puffa as his face turned to a serious expression with an stern frown on his face now and spoke to him. "Can I trust you to be the main engine to offically run this line, Puffa?"

"Yes, sir! I will, sir!" Answered Puffa. "I will try my best to run this line, sir!"

"Good. That is what I like to hear." Said Sir Topham Hatt as he give a kind and pleasent smile toward the modified grey steam engine. "Puffa. Welcome to the Island of Sodor. From this day forward, you, Frank, and Eddie are now part of the North-Western Railway."

"Thank you, sir!"

"You're welcome, Puffa. So as you're first order of business from me and running the Herman Churchward Branchline, I want you to bring some trucks down to Brendam Dock to delivered their goods."

"Yes, sir!"

Puffa was now a part of the North-Western Railway after he have came to the Island of Sodor and you can often see him running up and down the Herman Churchward Branchline as he both pulling passengers coaches fulled of visiting tourists and trucks fulled of loaded goods on the line that he run on with him joyfully seeing his surviving old friends and whistled to them everydays like the good old days while Frank and Eddie were partnered up with Segar (since he was big and tall enough to look and see over them without any sort of trouble, thus making them to serve as his minders too along with Zebedee) and are used to ferrying and transporting goods and trucks up and down the Long Silver River.

Oh, and before I forget to mention it, there is a nickname

that the Herman Churchward Branchline have. Which it is? The Star Tugs Branchline...

* * *

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY! I am so sorry that it took this long and haven't post anything, but I was so busy with a fic that I worked on for 4 months before I became busy with another fic. But hey, at least it got posted it doesn't matter, right? Well, except for wanting to post in the mouth that you wanted to post it but you can changes the date on A3O anything so it doesn't matter. Anyway, let's begin with the rest of my A/N.**

**I got the idea from CT7567Rules's review on one of my stories Unwanted and I have thought hey that's a good idea so I based this story off of that idea and now made it. It is also partly inspired by the beginning part of Duncan Spooked.**

**I based Puffa's story on an video I have watched a couple of days ago that I can't seem to find anymore. I can't really remember the title of the video, but all I do remember that it involved a engine getting saved from scrap by three former boys who have became men.**

**So when the next 2 chapters will come out on? I don't know really since I am busy with other stuffs right now as of this time, but I am hoping to post the third chapter in September and the fourth one in November.**


	3. The Wind of Changes

It was a nice and cool evening in the spring at the Ffarquhar Sheds of Ffarquhar Station. It's been a few weeks after Puffa and Frank & Eddie have arrived on the island of Sodor to run the Herman Churchward Branchline, with a mizzle of the spring shower sprinkling down. Ivon and Thomas were soon due to leave on their nightly mail run, with the old mail cars they're going to take filled with only delivery boxes and packages instead of the mails that they were once used to carry so they can taken by delivery drones to their designated destination, but right now, the engines - including Toby, who was there with the other two - were currently resting at the Ffarquhar Sheds after what have been a very busy day. I'm afraid to say, Thomas was feeling rather annoyed.

"I don't understand why people need to have this Wi-fi these days. Or else they'll become gounchy and start complaining about the lack of it." Said Thomas, grumbling about it. He had to leave Annie & Clarabel at Crovan's Gate Works in order to get their internal Wi-fi cables fixed and mended after they have been damage that morning and had missed them for the rest of the day.

"Well, it's got something to do with keeping the passengers entertained, Thomas. At least, what my driver told me when Henrietta and Victoria had to get theirs replace last week. Not I can't blame him through." Said Toby.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, Toby. I am just seriously annoyed by their complains of what happened yesterday." Grumble Thomas vexingly.

"Oh yes, I do understand of where you're coming at Thomas. But look at the bright side, since we've not had our passengers complaining about not getting signals from the lack of Wi-fi, it seems to make them happy at least, so there's no point in complaining about that."

Ivon was confused. "Signal? What do they mean not getting a signal?" He asked confused. "We have them all across the line. If we didn't have them, we have a lot more accidents than normal." He said out of his megaphone, mistaking of what they were talking about exactly for a different sort of signal.

Thomas simply rolled his eyes toward Ivon's diztiness and forgetfulness acting up once again while Toby just chuckle at this before the brown steam tram then told him.

"No. It's not that sort of signal, Ivon. They mean a 3G signal." Explained Toby with an grin in order to jog his memory. "It will only hurt your head if I actually explained to you in details of what it is, but i'll dumb it down of what it basically is; It's basically a sort of two-way radio link that lets our get the internet on their phones and laptops, or simply basically anything that is able to connect to the internet really." He said to Ivon, telling the green tender tank engine, of what a 3G signal is and how it work basically, as Sir Stephen Topham Hatt joined them.

"Yes. That is correct, Toby." Said Sir Topham Hatt.

"Oh, yeah. Now I remember." Ivon said with his megaphone, now remembering of what it is again and is now quite sheepish for forgetting about that again. "And so this Wi-Fi is...?"

"A more reliable way of providing them that internet connections, of course. It was Emily's idea those years ago back in 2009 to provide this extra service to all of our passengers. After all, we do want them to be satisfied."

The three engines both knew that the Fat Controller was talking about Emily Helen Hatt, the railway's Director of Customer and Public Relations, and who was also his daughter too.

"Excuse me sir, but did you come here to just talk about this?" Asked Ivon, being confused by Sir Topham Hatt's sudden appearance at the Ffarquhar Sheds and was curious of why he was suddenly here now.

Both Thomas and Toby knew the reason of why the green 0-6-0 engine asked that question and were equally as confused as him and were interested for the reason why he came here. It was quite unusual for the Fat Controller to visit the Ffarquhar Sheds this late.

Sir Topham Hatt shook his head to Ivon's question. "I'm visiting all the sheds tonight. There's something I need to tell each of you." He said, before he told the three engines of what it is. "Thomas, Ivon, and Toby. It has been a pleasure working with you over the last few decades. However, i'm afraid the time has come for me to leave the railways.

"You mean... you're retiring, sir...?" Asked Ivon, hoping he'd misheard

"I'm afraid so, Ivon. It's not quite my decision, my doctor has made it quite clear that I can no longer run this railway full time."

"But sir, if you're gone, who will run the railway?" Asked Toby.

"I've still got to decide that, Toby. There's a meeting of the railway's Board of Directors on Friday and i'll be nominating someone then. Until that's been done then, an acting controller will be place temporary in charge for now. I was concerned and afraid that Norman Spencers will be choosen to be acting controller originally, but rather thankfully, someone else have offered to be acting controller instead and he'll be temporary place in charge until it is decide of who will be the next controller in my place."

The engines resting at Ffarquhar Sheds looked and glance to each other (or those with faces at least) confused, wondering what he meant by that and who he is referring to exactly as all of them knew that it wasn't going to be Richard Topham Hatt like everyone had hoped due tp him having wanting to become a computer engineer in information and technology due to his interest in train simulations.

"Who is it sir?"

"A relative of mine. He's a relative of mine from America. He's my sister Bridget's youngest son, so he's my nephew from America to be precise. His name is Jack Tobi Ffarquhar Topham Johannes Wolff. He's coming over here as we speak." Explained the Fat Controller.

"Ah, your sister Bridget? I haven't heard from her since the last time that she have last visited Sodor for some times now." Said Toby, remembering the memory of how she have mistaken him for a electric tram back when he have first met her as a young girl on vacation along with her brother and grandparents at that time fondly. What he said was true. All of the railway's engines knew that why Bridget Hatt wasn't mentioned that much compared to her other family members of the Hatt Family was because she wanted to keep her life separate from her relationship with the Northwestern railway since she like her privacy and preferred to keep and maintain her life private from the public and doesn't want to be associated with the Railway Series books themselves, which is the reason why she moved to the USA in 1966 for that reason due to the Railway Series books relatively obscure there for many years before the advent of the Internet and have manage to make nobody figured out of who she was even when the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends TV series have begun hiring and was first broadcasted there on Shining Time Station in 1989, where she married an German American investor whom she is still faithfully married to this day and had three children with him along with now living in New Mexico, but she does still come to the Island of Sodor to visit her family members and all of the engine for two or three days once in a while when she's on vacation if her husband is still working.

"Yes yes, Toby. It's definitely been a while since my sister have last visited Sodor. Speaking of which, he's coming over to Sodor soon by plane and he will be arriving here at the airport tomorrow morning."

The three engines exchanged a concerned look to each other. They haven't meet or heard of him before except only the few yet sparse times that Bridget mention about him to them, so they honestly have no idea and can't be exactly sure of who he is in person.

"Don't worry, I won't be leaving without making sure you're all in good hands. And beside, from what my sister have told me about him, he loved trains and is passionate about them, especially steam trains." Sir Stephen Topham Hatt told them.

"Well sir, it was a pleasure working with you too." Thomas said sadly.

"Oh yes." Ivon agreed.

"Definitely." Toby concurred.

The Fat Controller smiled at them and expressed his gratitude to them for only a moment. "Thank you." He said, expressing his appreciation to the engines for their gratitude. And with that, he walked away from Ffarquhar Sheds. But as the Fat Controller strode away, there was a lot weighting on his mind.

After all, there's a good reason why he'd given himself a week to choose his successor of who will be running the Northwestern Railway...

* * *

It was now Sunday today around the morning. All works on railways have temporary stopped and crease operation, have been ordered to temporary stop and crease all operation, for now until they'll resume working and operation after the acting controller have arrived and make his appearance and announcement to everyone on the Northwestern Railway. The most of Sudrian Railway engines, which included; Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, Ivon, Toby, Duck, Diesel, Donald and Douglas, Daisy, BoCo, Bear, Oliver, Salty, Harvey, Murdoch, Molly, Paterson, Neville, Rebecca, Tay, Ebby, Barry, Pip and Emma, Doncaster, and the recently added Puffa himself, were waiting, patiently yet anxiously, at Tidmouth Sheds and all of them were quite anxious about this, causing them to talk and murmur to each other about this.

Everyone immediately stopped talking upon the sound of a familiar high-pitch steam whistle being heard coming in the distance as the sound of a chuffing steam engine was heard coming into the engine yard with the fumes of puffing white steam rising up in the air being seen in the distance and became silence when they have heard James' whistle and saw the whitecloud-like smoking fumes of his steam coming as James came chuffing down the line into the engine yard of Tidmouth when he've entered the yard and went onto the Tidmouth Sheds's turn table with having a rather neutral and impassive frown on the expression of his face when he arrived at the yard before the red engine came to a stopping halt.

Soon, an man who was far more modest and slimmer in girth and figure of his body's shape and form (roughly around only about between 180 to 200 pounds) compared to Sir Stephen Topham Hatt but is still quite chubby compare to a normal and average person, standing at about 6.0 feets (1.83 meters) tall, and appeared to be in his early 30s - probably about 32 at least - with chocolate brown hair and have a quite impressive beard that made him looking like he is the more updated modern version and equivalent of either Ulysses S. Grant or Rutherford B. Hayes (or probably both to be honest as it is hard to guess of what they look like exactly when you are describing them in only texts of a story if you can't decide of what they look like exactly, but I think i'll go with Rutherford B. Hayes) along with definitely making him looking older than his actually age wearing a normal black-colored business suit with a pair of slip-on zipper shoes and holding a brown wooden walking cane with a crooked handle in his left hand stepped out of James' cab onto the turntable and walked right over to the front of his buffer for the rest of the Northwestern Railway's engines to see before he finally spoke to the engines when he greeted them and introduce himself.

"Hello!"

The other engines were quiet and silent before they look at each other momentary and then glance their eyes back to him as they listen to him.

"My name is Jack Topham Wolff, i'm - what you have probably already know by now if my uncle have told you already - Sir Stephen Topham Hatt's nephew from my mother's side and i'm going to be the acting controller for this railways for about a week, I am going to be the one in charge of this railway in my uncle's place for a while until he choose and decide his successor and it will be. So i'll hope we can all get along with each other." Jack Topham Wolff said, greeting and introducing himself to all of the other engines, while also trying not to make the whole thing awkward for anyone. All of the engines just exchange some looks of confused expressions to each other and simply stared back at him in silence, not sure of how to react to him and don't really know of what to expect from him exactly. "Yeah, ummm... You know, to be honest with you about this; It's kinda awkward really. I mean, this whole situtation is pretty much the definition of awkward for everyone here including me. Since I know that you don't know me and I don't know you as we haven't meet each other before in person and this is the first time we met each other in person. But so as long as we can all get along with each other, i'm pretty sure that everything will work out eventually. Right? Right?" This cause the engines to murmurs to each other in agreement on what he said best about the entire situation. "You know, I do hope that I would be chosen to lead this railway and to be the next controller of this honestly incredible and awesome railway to lead and be made the next Fat Controller. I know it's highly unlikely realistically speaking that for sure, but you never really know what the future have in store for you and it can easily throw one surprise at you the least you expected it afterall. We'll just have to wait and see for ourselves when the week for who get to be the next Fat Controller have come to pass. For now, i'm going to be acting controller for this week. So as for my first order of business is to make a full safety inspection, I think I will ask the railway's team of civil engineers to make an full inspection all across the Northwestern Railway as I want to double checking the safety on the rails of the railway to make sure they're safe and are in good and top conditions for multiple of safety reasons and concerns. Since we don't want to have any sort of serious accidents that could kill anyone to happened if it does of course. Better safe than sorry, afterall."

"Err... that's an good idea, sir." Said Edward a bit hesitatingly, trying not wanting to make this any more awkward for the nephew of Hatt Stephen Topham than it already is.

"Thank you, Edward. So then, is there any more questions you have for me to answer?" Asked Wolff. There was none. There was only silence left hanging in the air around the engine yard of Tidmouth Yard. "Alright then. So let's get to work, shall we?"

"Yes, sir." Said Thomas, with the other engines looking in agreement to this.

"Good. Now, go get to work and get busy with your jobs today. So off you go then!"

And with that, all of the engines immediately went off from Tidmouth Shed to get work.

* * *

It was now Monday, a day later, Jack Topham Wolff got the current reports on the current safety status of the NWR's railways from the civil engineering team's quick current inspection on what they had find and have found currently at this time when it had came in; The NWR's team of civil engineers, with the uses of the most advanced and cutting edge technologies -including the ones used onboard the special coach Geoff the Work Diesel pulled - that they currently have at their disposals, found that there was nothing wrong nor out of the ordinary on the railway and it seems to be okay at this time currently, with about a only few of them being somewhat concerning but nothing a minor and quick repairs will do, so beside those minor issues... there is nothing much else to worry about really - except for a certain section of a line on the bridge is been noted to be being a worrying concerns and it appeared that it might need to be replace rather soon - and everything else is fine, of course through they can't really be 100% sure as it is going to take them for about a week at best for the inspection on the Northwestern Railway to be completed, about only a week at least for them and they'll need to completely re-evaluate of their assessment once it was done.

It was now Tuesday, in the later hours of the morning, just after the rush hours, at Knapford Station. The skies were covered by the grey clouds, covered by the stratus clouds completely covering and blanketing the entire sky with its grey colors, above the station, above the large canopy of the station, and the thin mist of the light fogs have rolled and flowed into the station with the morning being nice and cool, having that nice and comfortable feelings and sensations of the cool temperatures during the mornings. The engines; Thomas, Ivon, Toby, James, Henry, and Edward, filed into Knapford Station after they were all told to come here for something important.

Gordon slowly puffed into the station, still tired from pulling the Wild Nor' Wester express on his passengers runs during the morning rush hours and from getting only a temporary and brief rest on a empty siding after pulling the express, slowly yet grumpily at this and grumble with a tired grumpy expression on his face and being unsurprisingly snappy about it before he came up and stopped to the right side of Thomas as he bemoaned. "Right, we're all over here for what reason? This is right after the rush hours in the mornings and i'm still sore and tired from my well-earned rest after having pull the express during those hours!"

"Shh! We didn't come here to hear you to complain for what that's worth." Thomas shushed Gordon.

"Oh shut up you little blue rat." Gordon snapped.

"Oh, here's Mr. Wolff." Said Edward when the blue K2 engine saw Wolff coming and walking up to them on the station platform as he noted about it. "He must have called us here."  
"Oh _joy_." Remarked Gordon sarcastically to himself. Before Wolff then spoke to them.

"Right, sorry to call some of you right here so early after the morning rush hours." Said Jack and apologized to them for the inconveniences, apologizing to them for the inconveniences of calling them so early after the morning rush hours were only just finished, before he then told them and explained to the engines who were here. "As you all can tell and already know by this point, the workloads on this railway including freights - epically including freights - had increased over the last several years due to the recent boom in rail service by the sudden revival and increase interests in rail transports. While Coass has been a big help to us and this railway with helping us to moving and transporting some of the freights, he is on lease to us and so he cannot stay and help us with moving and transporting the goods all the time. So I have decide to buy a new engine to move and transport freights, but - however - I also want the new engine to fit in with the Northwestern railway's style and aesthetic, so I decide to buy a older diesel model. I have called some of you all here to greet our newest member to the Northwestern Railway. Granted, he's coming all the way from Barrow Hill, Derbyshire, but he left last night and should be arriving in the next few minutes."

Before any of the engines at Knapford Station could ask, as if on cue, they all heard the deep honk of a diesel's horn, the loud deep and low honking sound of an diesel's train horn, in the distance. They turns their eyes and attentions to see a diesel with livery of a BR green-blue with yellow ends rolling backward, coming and traveling in reverse, down the line toward the station with the low rumbling sounds of his engine and they first thought when they saw him based on his appearance alone that he was an BR Class 55 "Deltic", but soon realized that he was slighty more longer than one and bigger too with a megaphone on the top of his cab and the capitalized words "SUPER DELTIC" was written on his sides as he back and came into the station before he've then came to a stop right beside Edward. All before Wolff then told and intro them of who he is.

"Here is Howard. He's a BR Class 51 "Super Deltic" diesel locomotive, a class of experimental mixed-traffic Co-Co diesel locomotive designed mainly for pulling and transporting freights but are quite able to and capable of pulling passengers with roughly the same speed as the BR Class 55 "Deltic" at about 105 mph, able to produce about 4600 horsepowers, and have a continuous tractive efforts of 105,000 ibf or 467.06 kN and a maximum tractive efforts of 125,500 ibf or 556,08 kN thanks to his two 18-cylinders turbocharged Napier Deltic Engines. He'll be helping with your workloads, he will be mainly moving and pulling freights along the line but will occasionally pull passengers trains." Jack explained, introducing Howard to them for the BR Class 51 "Super Deltic" diesel himself and explaining of what class he is exactly to the other engines. "And I do apologized for taking some of you off of your current jobs for only jus to telling you this and the inconveniences it'll bring, but I... I just needed to tell you that while we do need a new engine, but I also wanted the new engine to fit in with the railway to increase tourism as well since this is technically a heritage railway by definition afterall."

"It's understandable, sir." Said Edward with a kind smile, understanding his reasons for it.

"Good, I was hoping you would say that. Howard, intro yourself to them."

"Hello theer, cockers. A lovely railway un island yawl have here." Said Howard, speaking with an Lancashire accent - or just Lanky accent - in his voice through his megaphone on his cab.

"Hello, Howard. Welcome to the railway." Said Thomas with a smile.

"Indeed, Howard. And you will surely love it here on Sodor." Said Edward, greeting Howard politely.

"I already don't like him." Grumble Gordon.

"Oh, be quiet." Thomas told Gordon.

* * *

After Howard have arrived and came to the Northwestern Railway and begun working on the railway by pulling and moving around the freights that were needed to be transported across the Island of Sodor when he started once he'd settle in on the island, the BR Class 51 "Super Deltic" is soon reveal to be an serious, diligent, and hard-working diesel and a experienced hard-worker who does his jobs to the absolute best of his abilities in doing them and is quite a friendly, easy-going, reasonable, admirable, practical, and humble diesel with a good sense of humor that he have yet is also sporty and is rather quite boastful & proud of his Lancashire heritage. He soon became acquaintance with everyone on Sodor's railway and soon made and was friends with everyone on the Northwestern Railway. Everyone on the Northwestern Railway soon liked Howard and they loved him for being a experienced hardworker on his jobs, his practical works ethics, his humble and enjoyable personality and his serious and respectable nature, and for being a nice, friendly, and all around enjoyable fellow who is not too hard for everyone to like and loved... except for Donald and Douglas, who acted rather somewhat hostile, unfriendly, distrustful, and antagonistic toward him and were especially distrustful of him as the twins didn't either really trust nor like him at all... but the Scottish twins themselves mostly ignored him and would rather pay no attention nor heed toward the Super Deltic, willing to look the other way and turns a blind eyes toward to the BR Class 51.

Thankfully, Howard was also a very understanding and patience diesel and was actually quite sympathic to the Scottish twins and their reasons for being angry and antagonistic toward him and dislike him unlike the others. Since he knew far too well the true and real reason of why they were being angry and antagonistic to him, giving him cold shoulders, and dislike him in the first place of course. His generation, the generation of diesel locomotives that he come from, did replace steam engines, including most of Donald and Douglas' relatives and friends, on railway of the mainland, replacing and displacing steam engines and supplant and taking over their uses and roles from them across the mainland's railway of Great Britian, except for Sodor's railway system, along with being almost 50 years ago when the last steam engine had been taken out of service from the British Railway network ran in 1968 and his own presence on the island probably brings back too many sad and unfortunate memories they didn't want to remember as he shared both his appearance and design with the other classes of diesels - whose appearances whom he shared with - that replaced steam engines on the mainland like including the BR Class 40s and Class 55s not helping the matters, so he couldn't blame them for feeling that way afterall...

* * *

It was now Thursday today, a few days after Howard had arrived and came to the Island of Sodor.

Howard was currently sitting and waiting in a siding that was not being used at the moment with several trucks behind him. His reverser's forward position has suddenly jammed up and he's only able to go in reverse. His driver says that he could able to fix it and see what the problem was, but they need to get back to Tidmouth Sheds first. Thankfully, his reverser's neutral and reverse positions still worked - still working at least - and can still be used, so he is still able to go and move back in reverse, allowing the Super Deltic to backed down into the siding to wait for another train to take him back to Tidmouth Sheds. In the main time, his driver have made a phone call to ask for another train that are the nearest to them and were available right now who are able to come and take Howard back to the sheds in order to see if his reverser's forward position could be fixed or not.

The blue-green BR Class 51 "Super Deltic" waited for a while, waited for a locomotive to take him for a while, on the siding that he was sitting in before he and his driver Lanks then heard the high-pitch sound of a familiar whistle. Donald came down the line pulling a line of trucks, pulling a line of several trucks, behind him with an annoyed and grumpy face until he came to a stop right beside Howard and looked at him crossly in grumpy and irritable annoyance.

"How did ye to manage to get yerself broken down in thes situation in th' first place?" Asked Donald with an crossed expression toward him.

"Sorry, cocker. My reverser's forward position geet jammed up, so I cawn't gooa and 'utch forward." Answered Howard sheepishly from his megaphone, apologizing to Donald for the inconvenience of taking him to Vicartown Shed along taking both their trains at the same times that he've brought to the blue CR Class 652 with his reverser's sudden jammed forward position.

"Let's just get thes done, so we can just get thes over with already." Said and grumble Donald in an annoyed and exasperated sigh at this with an grumpy tone in his voice at the last part of the sentence.

Donald was uncoupled from his train, moved and goes up the line to right behind the points, and moved right back down into the siding where the BR Class 51 is to back down into Howard when their buffers had bumped into and connected to each other before he was coupled up to both Howard and his trains behind the Super Deltic and pulled and towed him and his train forward right out of the siding onto the line with a enough effort until Howard's trucks were completely out of the siding including the brakevan itself.

Donald pushed and connected Howard and his train right back down into his train when he've moved and pushed his train down to his own to connect and couple up him and his train with his own line of trucks. Once that was done when his train was connected and coupled to his, the NWR blue CR Class 652 begun pulling them, towing and tugging Howards and their own respective lines of trucks, behind him forward down the line as they start and begun moving forward on the rails with a tug and tow.

They treaded and travel down the rails toward Tidmouth Sheds in silence for a while before, after some moments of silence down the line, Howard decide to speaks to Donald and asked him in order to strike up a conversation with the NWR blue CR Class 652.

"So you're Donald the Number 9 steam engine, reet?" Ask Howard.

"Aye. That's me. _So?_ So what? What about it?" Said Donald in rather irritated grumpiness at this.

"Oin heard abeawt the Railway Series, the books that are based on your railway's adventures, before. I've heard your stories before but oin never been here until mi arrival here just a few days ago. I've never geet the chance to visited this island at all before I was brought un came here to nagur on this railway a few days ago. So yo un Douglas are twin brothers, huh?"

"Aye. Me and Dougie are twins. What? Ye got a problem with that or something?"

"Nay nay nay, I wer just axin. I wer just curious un wondering about it unawl that, cocker. Afterall, I never visited this railway and island nor have getten the chance to see it with my own eyes in my times on the mainland before until I wer brought from my previous owners to nagur here to help the NWR with its warkload a few ago. Hearing about yo un your twin had made me interested in yo two un wanting to meet one of yo un knowing more about yo two at least. I didn't mean to offend yo un owtelse. Uz I found your stories to be incredibly fantasizing. Since both me un yo two are not so different."

"Pah! What's that supposed to mean?! Why should ye care about me and Dougie? What made ye care to about me and Dougie and wanting know about us anyway?"

"Look, I con understand that yo un Donald are angry ut me for being part uv the generation uv the diesel locomotives that have came un completely replaced steam engines from main line services on the mainland, but yo have to understand that it wasn't my fault that me un my generation have replace all steam engines across the railway on the mainland as it wasn't my choice un I didn't make it in the fust place either." Sighed Howard as they were then nearing to a bridge over a river that they were about to cross over soon. "It wasn't eawr choice nor uz didn't make it in the fust place anyway either to begin with since itwer already bin made un chosen for uz un set in place before we were even built."

"Look here, Howard. I and Dougie don't blame ye or yer generation for replacing our kind and we understand that it wasn't yer or yer generation's faults for that as we have mostly gotting over it years ago already, but right now however, we're not in a good mood right now and ye have chosen a bad time to talk so-" Said Donald as they came and were now crossing over the bridge right now.

Before Donald could say anything else, a creaking and groaning sound, a grating creaking and groaning sound that was made by the bridge, was suddenly heard for only a split second and brief moment before a section of the line on the bridge suddenly collapsed, a section of the line on the bridge suddenly snapped and give away under his weight, snapped and give away underneath his weight, causing him to drop and fall down and to droop and point downward, abruptly cutting him off of what he was about to say, yelping in surprise, leaving him dangling and hanging in the air with only his last sets of his wheels still on the rails, still gripping and holding onto the rails, as the NWR blue CR Class 652 stared and looked down, was staring and looking down, at the river under the bridge, the flowing and slow moving river underneath the bridge, down below with only his tender connected and coupled to Howard holding him back.

"_WOAH!_"

"DONALD! Oh nay! Don't worry, Donald! I geet yo!" Howard then gripped down with using all his mights & bringing his weights to bear forth down the rails, preventing him from dropping and falling down into the river below, with the rumbling growls of his 2 Napier Deltic engines roaring loudly and proudly as he was using his strength, and his driver immediately throw his reverser down into reverse as he pulled and hauled Donald back onto the rails easily with his strength alone with ease.

"Okay... Alright! So... that happened." Remarked Donald in shell shock as he panted, panting in shocked and surprised at what have happened.

"Donald! Art thee ah'reet, cocker?!" Ask Howard in concerns and worriments, wondering if one of the two NWR blue CR Class 652s is alright and unscratched.

"Aye, I'm fine. Just... just only really shocked by what happened." Answered Donald before he then ask. "My driver and fireman?"

"We're good here!" Donald's driver called out from his cab.

"That's... that's a relief to hear." Said Donald in relief at this. "Blimey, what happened?"

"I think a certain section uv this line on this bridge collapsed. ...Yeah, I think itwer definitely this certain section uv the line on this bridge that collapse, the same one that wer mentioned that wer seem to be due to be needed to replaced soon." Answered Howard.

"What? Ye mean th' same one that we were told to go over it slowly?"

"Yeah. The same one."

"Well, hat's explained it."

"Leet's switch tracks, uz this one is no langer good."

"Aye. Good idea."

And with that, both Donald and Howard soon back down the tracks to switch and go onto the other line.

Donald and Howard soon manage to arrived at Tidmouth Shed and the NWR blue CR Class 652 was taking an quick rest after the accident has happened, still shock at what happened, while Howard's driver found what was causing reverser's forward position to be jammed & worked not properly earlier and fixed the problem as a inspector was checking and inspecting Donald for any sorts of damages to see if they were there and were serious enough for him to go to the Works at Croven's Gate. All before Douglas then back down into the sheds beside Donald and Howard on the other side when he spoke to his twin brother.

"Are ye alright, Donnie?" Ask Douglas.

"Aye. I'm fine, Dougie. Still feeling shocked from what happened, but i'm feeling a lot more better now than earlier." Answered Donald.

"Well, that's good to hear at least." Said Douglas before he then turned to look at Howard and spoke to him. "Thanks for saving Donnie back there, I can't tell ye how much glad I am for ye saving him there."

"It's nay problem." Said Howard out of his megaphone on top of his cab. "Awe'm just helping out a colleague, that's awe'l."

"Which does actually remind me through; Why did ye bother to saved me there despite our less than friendly attitude and us being unfriendly toward you? Why did ye tried to talk to me even despite us being in a bad mood before ye saved me back there. And what do ye mean that you and me & Dougie are not so different in the first place?" Ask Donald, with a look of puzzlement on his face.

"Aye. Wonderin' aboyt that too." Said Douglas.

"Well, its because yo two un your relationships with each other reminded me a lot of my own brother." Answered Howard.

"Well, that's- brother...?" Said Donald and Douglas in surprised.

"Yes. I have a twin brother. He's still at Barrow Hill Roundhouse when I've left after I wer brought to wark on this railway."

"How come we haven't heard of him before?" Ask Donald.

"Aye. And we thought there was one only one of ye." Said Douglas. "Since we thought that ye are the only Super Deltic in existence with your words."

"The reason why I didn't talk about him until now wer because I knew that yo two weren't in any kind of moods for talks from me, along with the primary reason being that I wer wanting to getten myself more comfortable un familiar with the Northwestern Railway itself since I had plenty of free time to myself." Answered Howard. "Un yes, 'am technically the only one in a way, since I am the only BR Class Class 55/_1_ in existance."

"So yoo're telling us that ye also have a twin brother and yet ye still only one in existance in the technical sense of it." Said Donald.

"That's reet. Since uz wurr finished build on the same day. He is also one uv the main reasons why 'am warking on this railway un helping with your warkload, as I hope the Northwestern Railway will buy Homer fro' Barrow Hill Roundhouse in the future if 'am able to do an gud job un my performance will be able to impressed them enough to buy him."

"Understandable." Douglas remarked.

"Aye. It's understandable. I understand yer reason of helping yer twin to getting them over to yer locotion in order to not to be seperated from each other." Said Donald, since he knew the feeling and reason of not wanting to be seperated from your twin brother, including even if it meant taking the blame for them to saved them from the mere possibility of becoming scrap, all and far too well.

"Yeah. That entirely un perfectly summed up uv one uv my reasons for being here on Sodor." Said Howard rather casually about it.

"Ah, don't fash yerself Howard. Yer reason to help yer twin brother is a cause worth for and a relationable goal." Smiled Donald.

"Aye, indeed. What Donnie have said there is true." Said Douglas.

"Thanks. Awe'm glad that both of yo two are able to understand my reasons for being here on this railway." Said Howard out of his megaphone, before he have then added. "But of course, while me and he do have similiar personalities since uz are twins, my twin brother does look far more differently from me."

"Ah, please Howard. If he is yer own twin brother, then he wouldn't be far too different from ye." Said Douglas.

"Thank yo." Said Howard, would be smiling if he actually had a face.

"Also, we do want to apologize to ye for both our previous attitudes and behaviors toward ye earlier before. I hope ye could forgave us for giving ye trouble." Said Donald.

"Nah, it's al'reet uz I don't need it. Yo two are just caught in a bad spot un wurr in a bad mood, that's awe'l."

"Thanks for being understanding and patient with us."

"Ah, it's nay problem..."

* * *

At the Vicarstown Sheds (which were the new ones not the old ones first seen in the Railway Series Books), Edward and Duck were both currently taking a temporary rest there after they have took their trains to the Vicarstown Goods Depot and were currently speaking and talking to each other of what is going on right now as we speak when the blue engine spoke.

"So Duck, have Donald and Douglas gotting over what they were feelings yet?" Ask Edward.

"From what my driver have said to me from their drivers messaged him on the phone, those two have already got over it and apologized to Howard for their behaviors." Said Duck.

"Well, that's one good thing to hear at least."

Before either of them could talk more, they suddenly heard the familiar car-like honking sound of diesel locomotive's horn in the distance. The blue tender engine and the Great Western pannier tank engine turn to see a black livery BR Class 08 pulling a green livery LNER 4-6-0 B12 (or GER S69 if you preferred) right behind him coming into the Vicarstown Engine Yard before he then came to a stop near the Vicarstown Sheds as the two new arrivals then looked at the two engines in the shed when Edward.

"Hello. Who are you?" Greeted and ask Edward when he had ask them politely yet curiously, wondering who the two new arrived engines are.

"My name is Gronk. And the engine behind me is my friend Stephen." The black BR Class 08, introducing himself to be Gronk, said to them with the number 13238 on his number plate on his side who looked certainly younger than Diesel.

"Hello there." Said Stephen politely, deciding to introduced himself to them since they knew his name now.

"Why hello Gronk and Stephen. Welcome to the Northwestern Railway and the Island of Sodor." Said Edward with a kind smile when he told them before he then introduce himself and Duck to the two newly arrived engines. "I am Edward and this engine here is Montague, but we just called him Duck."

"Hi." Greeted Duck.

"So this is the Northwestern Railway and the Island of Sodor that I heard so much about, huh? I've heard so much about this railway and island before, but I have never thought that I would actually brought be here after being taking out of regular service for a long time on this day." Said Stephen, mostly to himself, before he remarked about both the Northwestern Railway and the Island of Sodor. "I have to say, both this railway and this island are quite a beautiful and gorgeous-looking place and sight to behold."

"It is definitely a beautiful sight to behold indeed, Stephen." Said Edward. "By the way, so what bring you two here on the railway in the first place anyway?"

"We were both brought by the acting controller right now both to work on this railway to help with your workload and increased the tourism here, even if it is only just slightly." Answered Gronk with a smile. "When I have found out when by my previous owner who owned where I previously worked at have told me that I was purchased by the Northwestern Railway to work on this railway, I was honestly surprised by this news yet overjoy to hear that, but I was even more surprised to hear that my friend Stephen was also brought by the railway as well."

"Yes, what Gronk have said is true. Me and Gronk know each other and are friends with each other when we were based at Copley Hill." Said Stephen as he told them. "Both of us were purchase and brought from our owners, with Gronk here has been brought from a owner of a industrial site. And I was brought from my previous owners of the North Norfolk Railway, the same heritage steam railway that have maintained me and I have ran on for nearly 6 decades, when I was given that news by them. Before I was pulled behind by Gronk during the trip down the main line to this railway when I found out he was going to be the one to pulling me to Sodor to take me to the Croven's Gate Workshop, both to check to see if I need mending and repairs and to save and conserve my fuel."

"Well, it make sense. Since there would be no coal on the main line and be more economical if a unpowered steam engine would be pulled by an diesel." Commented Edward. "Afterall, James Topham Wolff, the acting controller for this week and Stephen Topham Hatt's nephew whose his sister's youngest son, does seem to care about all of us."

"That's sound good to say the least." Said Stephen.

"Indeed." Comment Gronk before he've then ask the small blue tender steam engine a rather important question. "So where is the Croven's Gate Workshop? Do you mind to tell where do we find it?"

"The Croven's Gate Workshop? Oh, that's simple, Gronk; The main line lead down to Croven's Gate. Just continue and keep on going down the main line until you will eventually reach the town of Croven's Gate itself, where you'll find the workship is at. It won't be hard to miss as long as you followed the signs to where it leads." Edward told Gronk with a kind smile, giving him directions to where the Croven's Gate Workshop is located, being the kind and helpful old tender engine that he is. "If you need any help or answering any questions you need, just ask me."

"Thank you, Edward. Appreciate the help."

"You're welcome, Gronk."

With one blast of his horn, Gronk took off while he pulled Stephen behind him and traveling down the main line Croven's Gate Workshop.

* * *

On the other end of the Island of Sodor, Thomas was taking a rest in a siding in a yard before Jack Topham Wolff have then suddenly came over to him after he have came to this yard in the car he was currently renting and he then spoke and talked to him, now currently speaking to the blue tank engine.

"Ah, Thomas. How are you doing?" Jack ask the blue class E2 tank engine.

"Just tired, sir. My wheels are left arching after pushing and pulling all the cars into the siding they were needed to be put in, but nothing that a good rest will do." Answered Thomas with letting a small yawn out and a slighty tired expression.

"Well, that's good to hear."

Thomas glanced over to Jack and notice the distant yet thoughtful and deep look on his face, as if he was deep in his thoughts, thinking about something deeply in his mind, before the E2 tank engine ask him.

"Are you alright, sir?"

"Hmm? Oh, i'm just thinking a lot of things to myself." Said Jack. "If I do become the next Fat Controller as I hoped despite the unlikely it is, I do want to make plans to change all of you to a different type and source of fuels in the near future. After all, my main concerns is that all of your current fuel sources right now, coal and diesel fuels, will become far too costly and expensive to be used as your primary fuel sources to keep you guys still running in operation in the future due to multiple factors that we do know about. So it would be actually an good idea to make a plan to change and switch fuel from your current fuel type in the near future if I do get selected and chosen to be the next Fat Controller. I don't know what kind of fuel it would be, but I'm thinking about using biofuel since it's a good choice. Plus, I do want to add about a couple of hydrogen-powered locomotives and make a fleet of them in order to show support in using renewable energy, helping the environment, and wanting to experiments with a untested source of energy for a locomotive. However, I would have to put on hold for those plans for now since moving freight and your workloads right now is the number one priority for this railway. I also do want to buy several older types of engines in order to help working with the workload and to increase tourism on this island. But only once I understand how much finance that this railway have and if they're not achievable, then i'm willing to wait and put a hold on them until the time is right. If you understand of what I meant exactly that is."

"I understand what you're saying and getting at, sir." Said Thomas.

"Ha-hahmm." Jack turn around to see Norman Spencer, the railway's... less than reputable & respected and utterly contempt Deputy Director and former Finance Deputy Director, himself strode over to them from his car before he came, much to both to their own displeasure at this due to his reputation through Jack hid his feeling of disgust toward him well, and spoke. "It has come to my attention that have been about several small delays with trains leaving this yard."

"There's a reason for that; This is normally Diesel's yard." Snapped Thomas angrily with an angry scowl on his face at Norman Spencer toward him, before Jack could even have time to speak as the blue tank steam engine spoke. "He knows the routine how to work, practically efficiently without delay. I don't, but I'm best at running my branchline. Of course, I wouldn't _and _shouldn't be that surprised by that from you since you didn't seem to understand when Sir Topham Hatt spoke to you at Knapford Station and I doubt that you'll understand it now."

"Understand what exactly?"

"Why people come to this railway in the first place. Anyone like you who doesn't get that will only ruin it. I am the last of the LB&SCR Class E2 and only the one still left and that haven't been scrapped in existance as all of my siblings were scrapped in the 1960s. The same could be said for most - maybe even all - of the engines here, even most of the diesels like Boco. If anyone want to see us at work in our natural environment in where we do best at, they have to come here." Thomas glared at Norman, making him feeling unease and found it unsettling, since he knew that this same and the most famous cheeky little blue tank engine who almost everyone knows about was the same one who is glaring, putting up an frighteningly terrifying and angry staring glare, at him that was terrifyingly effective as he then told him off. "But of course, as I have said before, I shouldn't be that surprised from you since you never seem to understand about the railways itself at all, you embezzled money-grubbing penny-pincher."

"... _What _did you just say to me?"

"You heard me, but I'm not gonna say it again twice to you. Since you're really nothing more than a scrimping parsimonious and greedy tea leaf who not only steal money from people to keep for yourself and attempt to pass yourself on off as an reasonable honest figure who care about the railway but also tried to modernized the railway that would put many people out of jobs in order to save a little bit more money."

"_What _did you called _me_, Thomas?"

"You heard me and i'll say it again to you but this time right up to your own damn _face_; You think and pretending to be some sort of an almighty big shot who will get to inherited the Northwestern Railway, a man who think he absolutely knew and thought best for the railway, and a brilliant genius who will be easily chosen as the next permanent controller of this railway from Sir Topham Hatt, but here's a reality check that is actually rather both _necessary _and _good _for you to say the least about the entirety of you that just honestly summed it up perfectly all about you and your own damn character right in the first place this entire time all right from the beginning when you have start working on this railway just to be teensy eensy wensy itty-bitty tiny bite-sized honest: You're _not_. You're all but really nothing more a thinly-disguised embezzled avaricious, mingy, and greedy miserly thief who is mean, penurious, and tight-fisted and who not only steal money from people poorer and lower than yourself to keep and hording it all for yourself all because you think you're better than them and you are allow to keep and horde all the money for yourself without any consequences but also tried and attempt to modernized the Northwestern Railway itself that would easily cause and put multiple people out of work and lose their jobs easily just in order to save a little bit of more money all to have and keep it for yourself to satisfied your own greed. I mean, it's no wonder why Sir Topham Hatt couldn't even trust you anymore and have no longer any sort of trust in you anymore ever since after that whole fiasco of a mess and wreck that have nearly lead to a complete disaster which was barely avoided thanks to your philander. You tried and pretend to be a reasonable and honest man with high moral principle who care about for the railway and knew & thought what is best for the railway at first glance when in reality you're actually none of those things and don't care for anyone but yourself. After all, I know the reason why these words of mine of what I have said to you are able to affect and hurt you thanks to your reactions on your face to them i've seen is all because they're true, every bit of what I've said is all but true about you. The only good thing I could find and say about you is that you're still more better than Donald Trump since compared to him, he make you looked good by at least about hundreds more times by comparison. You're nothing but a embezzled and philandering avaricious, misering, and greedy miserly and tight-arsed thief, Mister Norman Spencer."

"Why-why you damn cheeky little son of a-"

"Alright, that's quite a enough you two. I think I seen all I need to confirmed my suspicions on this." Interrupted Jack, interrupting and stopping both of them from what they were doing, stopping them before it could escalate anymore further than already is at this point and get out of hands quickly, preventing any more colorful insults from being thrown and hurl around and an nasty fight from happening, before he turned toward Norman with an unamused and surprisingly stern look on his face. "Norman. While what he have said and did say was rude and is known for being a cheeky small blue steam engine, Thomas is one of the most reliable engines on this railway and does bring up a good point about you. While he could have been more diplomatic and tactful just now, I have no reasons to doubt of what he have said about you is true. To say about you from me the least honestly, I must say... I am frankly not really impressed of what I have heard and seen for myself. You're complete arrogance in assuming that you were the only candidate and automatically the only one whose going to be next umm... "_Fat_" Controller... have cost you the position and becoming the next controller of this railway after that incident you caused, either directly or indirectly anotherwise, in the first place since it is one of the main reasons why my uncle has no longer any sort of trust or faith in you of being his successor and the next controller of the railway as he've realized that you will never understand the Northwestern Railway. He told me

Norman frowned angrily at Jack. "Oh, please. Just be quiet you-"

"Now listen here, Norman." Snapped Jack more harshly, in an far more harsher tone of voice, toward him as he make his speech toward Norman. "I know better than anyone else that I am relatively inexperience and have no experience to say the least in controlling a railway and being a railway controller for sure, but I am truly passionate about trains, especially steam trains. The Fat Controller isn't just some kind of simple yet fancy nickname, Norman. Having that title means you're someone who's earned the respect of the engines and staff members and puts the best interest at the railway first and foremost."

"That's what I was been trying to tell your uncle as I have been saying to him for years now, modernization will ensure this railway will survived."

"Please, Norman. The values of this railway cannot be measured by purely finances means. That is what my uncle have been telling you for years. But of course, I am not surprised that you weren't willing and refused to listen of what my uncle have said anyway. Since I can also truly confirmed that the rumors of you embezzlement are 100% accuracy and true."

Norman widen his eyes and panicked. "How-How do you know that they're actually true?"

"I'm an businessman and investor, Norman. I know when someone is doing an embezzlement when I take a look at it for myself. However, i'm the pretty sure that the next controller who will be chosen - whoever it will be exactly - will not fired you soon since you technically do have years of experiences. But the way I see it, you have only two options; Either you remain with the railway and deal with it or you quit and leave to find a different job. Either way, you lose. So what is it going to be? Because if you're not happy with this, with outdated models still remain running on this railway and/or with the outcome of who will chosen to be the next Fat Controller or both, then you can pack your $%^& and pick a different trade if you're not happy about it."

Norman just turn around and walked away, fuming in anger, after he give and left with just an angry huff and a stomp of his foot before he got into his car and immediately left the yard.

Thomas looked over to Jack and smiled at what he have just said to Norman. "That was a good speech you did right there."

"Thank you for that, Thomas." Said Jack. "I didn't like him given what I've saw and heard about him for myself."

"Yeah, can't blame you for that. Since they were all true anyway."

"Right. Anyway, I need to be going right now. So bye!"

With that, Jack walked over to his rented car and got in before he left the yard.

It was now Saturday, somewhere around 9:00 AM at Tidmouth Sheds, today being the last day of Jack being the acting controller as the week was now up. Jack arrived at the sheds, since he knew for the fact that today was probably his last day on the Island of Sodor before he would have to return to the states and wanting to say goodbye to the engines of this railway, where some of the engines would be at before he see his cousin Emily Hatt was currently speaking to some of the engines who were at the sheds, which were; Ivon, Bear, Paterson, Douglas, Howard, Stephen, and Gronk, and he walked over until he came to her and spoke. "Ah, Emily. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you very much." Emily answered.

"Good, that's good. So what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just talking to some of the engines."

Before Jack could say and ask anything else with asking Emily any more questions, an whistle was suddenly heard coming into the yard. Edward arrived at Tidmouth Sheds as he came right onto the shed's turntable, having already just completed and finished one of his goods runs on his branchline. He stopped just outside of Tidmouth Sheds before a familiar well-dressed gentleman climb down from his cab.

Jack was honestly quite surprised by his sudden appearance and to see his uncle here at the sheds due to his current health status at this time as the former controller then joined them. "Uncle Stephen. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I've heard about the few locomotive you've brought to help with the workload." Sir Topham looked over at the Class 51 "Super Deltic" diesel, LNER B12/GER S69 steam train, and Class 08 diesel themselves sitting in Tidmouth Shed who were also looking and staring back at him in silence. "You must Howard, Stephen, and Gronk?"

"Yep, that's reet sir." Said Howard.

"Correct." Said Stephen.

"That's right." Said Gronk.

"We're glad to meet you, sir Topham Hatt." Said Stephen. The three had heard how the other engines speak highly of their former controller.

"Howard, I have heard that you have save one of my engines from falling into a river."

"Ah, itwer nought sir. I wer just helping another engine."

"I'm just simply my expressing my thanks and regards to you for saving one of my engines."

"Please, sir. I don't really need the compliment or onert or owtelse, since i'm just really doing the wark so this railway con buy my brother un bring him oer here."

"Understandable." Sir Topham then turned to Jack and he immediately spoke to his nephew. "Jack, I've given your this week to see of how you would handle the railway. I must say; Your performance was not impressive and average to say the least. However, your choice in asking the railway's team of civil engineers to double check the rail's status was a rather good and smart idea. Your swift response to the sudden collapse of that certain of line on that bridge after Donald nearly fell was also good. Buying a few more engines to helping with the current workload was a smart move. And you have proven that you're at least willing to listen to the advice of other people, proven yourself to be willing to listen to reasons and advices. Plus, your idea of changing the engines' current fuel of coal and diesel to biofuel and wanting to add a fleet of a couple hydrogen-powered engines to support the use of renewable energy, supporting the environment, and experimenting and testing the use of hydrogens on railways to the Northwestern Railway are rather strange and interesting yet reachable and feasible ideas to say the least about them."

Jack was took by surprised. "How did you know about that?"

"Oh, a certain cheeky little tank engine told me." Sir Topham snickered. Before he resume on without a pause. "Nonetheless however, you do raise a good point about the use of coal and diesel and wanting to switch to a new fuel source for the engine in the future, as the reasons behind them are quite concerning. And having a fleet of a couple hydrogen-powered engines for both experimenting and PR purpose would be not a bad idea to begin with. Through they may need a few adjustments and tweaks of planning depending on... well... what is going to happened in the near future."

"Thank you, I'll keep that piece of advice in mind." Said Jack thoughtfully to himself. There was a momentary silence. Before the young businessman ask his uncle a important question. "So who is going to be taking over after this week is over then? Who do you have in mind of taking over the railway in your place? Emily? Or someone else in mind?"

Jack knew that Emily was easily the best candidates of taking over the Northwestern Railway in her father's place, since she had always seem to get on well with the railway's engines and staff members.

"I was hoping that one of the two best candidates - one of them being Emily of course - would be able take over the railway in my place and succeed me as the railway controller, but Emily has already decided to remained being Director of Customer and Public Relations since she'd figured that it would be best if she remained being as the railway's Director of Customer and Public Relations after she had nominated you and the other one is planning to retired in July. My only concern with nominating you Jack was that you are young and relatively inexperience to say the least, something of which you did acknowledged, but however... you are shown to be a reasonable and casual yet pragmatic businessman, are willing to listen to reasons and advices from other people, are truly passionate about trains, and are still my nephew and therefore my sister's son."

"So you do mean...?" Ask Jack in surprised, honestly cannot believing at what he was hearing with his ears from his uncle.

"Yes, Jack. I am here therefore making you the next controller of the Northwestern Railway if you are interested." Said Sir Topham with an kind smile toward his nephew. "Welcome to the railway as its next controller, Jack."

Jack smiled at this with a stupid grin on his face, before he grab Sir Topham 's hand and shook it as he spoke to his uncle. "Thank you, Uncle Stephen! Thank you so much! It's a dream come true for me! I would be honored!"

"Now now, Jack. Calm down. It's not official yet. We have to see how things goes at the board meeting." Emily pointed out.

"Yes, Emily is right, Jack. And also you're welcome for that, Jack." Said Sir Topham. Before he added. "Oh, and I do also know that you also are rather interested in adding more engines to the railway. I can understand for the pragmatic reasons, but please don't over do it, will you?"

"Don't worry, uncle. I know how to restaint myself. So you can count on me."

"I do hope so." Said Sir Topham. "Now come on, you two. We've got a bit to discuss."

With that, the three departed. The engines who were at Tidmouth Sheds couldn't wait to tell the other engines the news, with Edward commenting on it as he departed to do and resume his work.

"Sir Topham got his head screwed on right. The other board of directors know that. You know, I'll be surprised if either Jack is or isn't our controller by the end of the day. But of course, you never really know for sure after all."

"Yes, indeed." Stephen said.

* * *

Later that afternoon; Gordon, Henry, and Edward were waiting at Knapford Station with their respective trains of coaches behind them to take the passengers to their destination.

"Glad to have your coaches back, Gordon?" Ask Edward.

"You can say that again." Said Gordon. The blue large tender engine have been ordered to go to the Works to get his sets of coaches in order to take them on a test run to see if there was any sort of teething problems that they have with them around lunchtime after the express coaches were now refitted with newer and better Wi-Fi Cable for the passengers to allowed them to get stronger and faster signals now.

"So do you know what time that the board meeting is due to finish?" Ask Henry, with his own set of coaches behind him.

Edward shot an quick glance at the station's clock to see the exact time. "I think it started at about around 10 o'clock." A moment later, Edward suddenly caught sight of Jack stepping out of the station building. "Excuse me, Mr. Wolff."

"Yes, Edward?" Said Jack, after he walked up to the blue Furness K2 "Larger Seagull" engine.

"I was just wondering about the board meeting. How did it go?"

"Why Edward, I apologize. I've had a lot to catch up on some soon." Answered Jack. "But to answered an earlier if rhetorical question that you said. Yes."

Edward paused for a moment, trying to remember what that he'd said earlier that would have made it rhetorically. Only an second later, he grinned broadly at this, instantly knew of what he meant exactly by that. "Oh, in that case; Congratulation... Mr Fat Controller."

Gordon and Henry looked over. "Fat Controller...?" They asked at the same time at what they heard, sounded almost too good to be true.

"Yes, I know. I'm honestly surprised by this news as well. Since the odds were stacked against me. But here I am now, your new Fat Controller now. I am here being your new Fat Controller now." Said Jack humbly. "And to answered your question; That's right, the Boards of Directors unanimously accepted that recommendation."

Gordon and Henry immediately grinned widely like Edward at what they heard.

"Well then, congratulation sir!" Said Gordon, smiling broadly.

"Congratulation on becoming Fat Controller, sir." Said Henry happily.

"Congratulation, sir!" Thomas whistled cheerfully, just as he came into Knapford Station with Annie & Clarabel behind him and he quickly realized and figured out all on his own on what is going on in the station. "Well, bust my boiler! That's the best news we've heard all week!"  
"So do the other engines know about this yet?" Ask Edward with a broad smile on his face.

"I'll be visiting all of the engines tonight to tell them about this exciting news." Said the new Fat Controller. A moment later soon, the 3 tender engine's respective guards have blew their whistles.

Edward, Henry, and Gordon departed Knapford Station almost roughly at the same time. As they, the three same tender engines who were first introduced to the world in the first book of the Railway Series that started those stories, departed from Knapford Station with one of them going to Vicarstown, they couldn't help still grinning at this news.

The three engines, after all, knew that the Northwestern Railway was now in good hands for the foreseeable future. Until that time come again in the unknown and unseen future itself, the Northwestern Railway will remained in good and safe hands of the new Fat Controller for a good long time.

* * *

**A/N: I was wanting to post this chapter somewhere in September, but I got writer block and now it's October. Great. **

**This chapter is mostly based on and is inspired by WildNorWester's video "Wind of Change" with Howard introduction scene inspired by the one scene Skarloey123's "Sodor: Dark Times - The Enemy, Anger" where Alfred is introduce in.**

**My OC Jack Topham Wolff is somewhat based on me and I created him to replace Sir Topham Hatt since he is too old and thus will unfortunately have health problems and issues due to his advance and old age so he wouldn't be able to run the railway full time anymore, plus Sir Topham Hatt's sister Bridget Hatt strangely isn't mentioned that much compared to the other members of the Hatt Family which made it a good excuse for me to make my OC being her son and youngest child since her liking her privacy and keeping her life private is based on my liking of my privacy.**

**So why did I choose the BR Class 51 "Super Deltic"as the basis for Howard's class? Because it is a class that was never built and thus is a obscure class of unbuilt diesel locomotives which made it interesting which was the reason why I called his class a experimental class and I like things that interested me plus I loved the BR Class 55 Deltic for its performance. But why did I decide to call him a BR Class 51/a in the first place? You'll find out in a chapter later.**

**So here are the list of the Locomotive OCs that i've introduce in this chapter; Howard the BR Class 51 "Super Deltic", Doncaster the BR Class 58, Paterson the Class 40 (think a Class 40 with Toad's face),** **Tay the jet black-colored USRA 0-6-0, and Ebby the jet black-colored SR USA Class/Ex-USATC S100 Class.**

**Originally, I only wanted to introduce Doncaster the BR Class 58 in the background since he will be important for a future chapter that will be a focused on his origin, but since I feel like adding more engines to make the railway feel more alive, so I decide to create them if only as background character with only some form of backstory they'll have.**

**Now that out of the way; The reason of why I created Jack is that I wanted him to buy a character that I am going to introduce in the next chapter who is also my most favorite character in the entire story. Who? You will see in the chapter in somewhere in November.**


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